To be Real
by Kriiz
Summary: Ganondorf's ultimate minion, the dark twin of the Hero of Time, struggles with his duty to his master and his budding human emotions. When he is disowned by his creative father, there is nowhere for him to go but downward... FINISHED!
1. The Preparation

I haven't written a story in, like, YEARS, but the other day I re-read my "-Less" series and was shocked at what I wrote. The thought of being able to do something like that again is irresistible.

So I've been playing the Zelda series games for months now. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Windwaker over and over again. It's started to get to me; the story is always the same! So I've decided to make my own. This is one of two story ideas that I've had, centered around Dark Link. I want to make him a deeper character than he was in OoT.

Characters are copyright Nintendo, durh. I hope you enjoy!

The workshop was a dismal chamber of horror, a cellar that reeked of rotting flesh and decayed bodies. From the rafters were draped cords of various thicknesses, frightening spidery nooses that were tethered to the wild creations housed in this repository. Failed experiments decorated the otherwise bare stone walls, hanging from wooden spikes driven through them out of violent frustration, for the puppeteer was a man of little patience. They hung like slaughtered soldiers, some missing limbs, others lacking heads, all of them hideous creations, half man and half metal. Works-in-progress were tied to wooden poles scattered throughout the room. Pieces of humanoid bodies were strung together with scrap-metal parts, carelessly sewn into sockets and attached with shiny new joints. An eye here, a shock of yellow hair there, pieces of hands and feet; all had been gathered for their perfection and their collector hurried to use them before they spoiled in this desert heat.

Like some sinister Gephetto, the creator stood huddled over his latest brainchild. Unlike the others in this place, this puppet was being carefully tended to and lovingly assembled. The puppet master carefully stretched the skin over his creation's delicate metal frame, the skin he had shorn from a Hylian peasant lying dead on the front lawn. A vile grin contorted his face as he watched the skin fit snugly to the perfectly crafted features, the thin but muscular shoulders, and the metal ribs all perfectly bent to form his chest. He pulled the skin taut and procured a needle and some wiry thread. The skin was sewn together at the ankles and up between the legs, much like one would sew a pair of pants. After fastening thick cables to the wrists, ankles, and the neck, the puppet master leaned in close to scrutinize his creation.

The eyes were just large enough, the nose long and perfectly pointed, the ears fanning out on either side of the face like strange banners. The lips, the lips he had labored over for hours to perfectly craft, were slightly parted over twenty-eight pearly teeth. Ten thick fingers, ten curled toes, he had counted them all. His hands ran over the torso to make sure that each muscle was in its place. Every inch of this sculpture was perfect. "Finally," the massive Gerudo sighed with relief, "finally my creature is finished."

He leaned down, closing his mouth over the lifeless lips and nose, and breathed life into the puppet. The body expanded and the chest lifted as air entered its cavity. The wizard drew back to murmur a quiet incantation as the body's weight forced the air out in a long, slow exhale. Once he was finished with the prayer, the puppet inhaled on its own. The wizard lifted the body up off the table by its cables and hung it from the ceiling in the center of the room. The creature's eyes tiredly opened and looked around at his mangled siblings, all strewn about the chamber and horrifically arranged. Slowly, a wiry smile spread across the thin, pale lips before the ruby eyes closed again. After much rest, the body would heal together and then be ready for use.

"AGAIN!" barked the Gerudo, shaking warm blood from the blade of his battle-ax. He stood at one end of a massive circular dungeon-room, wearing only light training armor and a scowl blacker than night. Blood was spattered about on the stone floor and the walls of the chamber and it slowly swirled down into the metal grate in the center of the room. The steady drip of the lifeblood into the sewer below counted off the seconds that went by.

On the other side of the room lay the fountain from which the blood spewed forth. He was crumpled in a heap, holding a terribly wounded stomach, his face twisted in agony - but he did not whimper, as others would. He slowly shifted onto his front side and knelt up, gradually pushing himself to his feet. His uniform consisted of a black tunic, the sleeves torn off to reveal strong arms that were lacerated and bruised from Ganon's rough training. Blood trickled down his arms to his hands, and he thoughtfully watched the blood drip off his fingertips. His hands were protected by black gauntlets with silver metal discs at the knuckles. The gauntlets were saturated with his blood and he shook off his hands before reaching up to smooth back his hair. His hair was a very dark gray, styled similarly to Link's with the long and pointed bangs. He didn't wear that silly hat, though, and some of his hair was drawn back into a short ponytail. He had accessorized with a multitude of piercings – several hoops, studs, and bars through his ears, a bar in his right brow, a hoop in his lower lip – and a tattoo on his right shoulder of the Triforce, albeit upside-down.

Once he had caught his breath, the hardened warrior lifted his black sword again and stood ready. He parted his lips to aid his labored breathing and blood trickled down his chin as he did so. Ganon had left a gaping wound in his abdomen and as the wizard watched, he could see his creature's gory innards pulsing with life inside, the muscles working to sustain the weakened body. Seeing the strain he was putting on his creation, he rethought his order. A rare smile crossed his lips and he lowered his weapon. "No, I think that is quite enough for today," he spoke. "You've proven yourself to me by now to be a formidable warrior."

The words of praise only served to irritate the trainee. "Proven myself? Already?" He sprang forward, apparently not the least bit affected by his aching wounds, and lashed out at his creator. "I have hardly begun to show you my true potential!" Their swords met between them and Ganon found that his puppet was still strong. In fact, he almost had trouble fending him off; he was so energetic! But a heavy boot to his stomach made the wounded shriek and he tumbled backwards, dropping his sword with a clatter and clutching his torso tightly. A satisfied sneer crossed the wizard's lips. "I said that is enough. Do not test my patience."

"C-Cheap shot," stammered the injured one, turning now to look up to his Master. His eyes were startlingly blank. He seemed to fall apart as his form slowly began melting, spattering onto the floor in chunks of black liquid. He formed a puddle on the stone, a little wiggling mass that kept the Gerudo wondrously captivated. Was this what they had been struggling to unleash for so long? Could this be a new, more powerful form? That small puddle grew and grew, assimilating Ganon's shadow and all the room's darkness within itself, and it stood like a menacing ocean wave before him now. Two red eyes burned from within the blackness. It towered even over the desert giant and, with a high screech, it soon overcame him and swallowed him up within itself.

Ganon stood perfectly still within the darkness. He could feel his creature moving all around him, warm and heavy but not suffocating. He remained calm. He trusted his puppet like an owner trusts their dog, when their hand is in its muzzle, not to bite them. He closed his eyes, and there in the darkness of his mind could he see his rebellious young creature.

"Master," the minion spoke, his words echoing off the walls in Ganon's mind, "We have been training for weeks now. You have abused and tormented me and I have fought back with all that I have. But still there are doors inside me unopened, power yet untouched. I have not revealed to you yet my true potential." His tone was pleading, imploring his Master for more attention. "Please, do not stop."

Ganondorf grinned, speaking to his creature with his mind. "I know you are eager to show me what you can do, but we do not have time for it. It is clear that you have a multitude of powers that you haven't even seen yet, but the time has come for you to serve me. Do not back down," threatened the king.

The two stood in silence, quite close to one another in that moment. Words tickled the tip of Ganon's tongue, but he refrained from speaking. The closeness of his minion was starting to bother him, not because of claustrophobia but because he felt like they were cultivating emotions he'd rather not share with a subordinate. The wizard unleashed a sudden burst of energy that took his cuddling creature by surprise. "Master!" he cried, but to no avail. Ganon's power spiked and the liquid shadow was blown apart. He splattered against the walls of the chamber, rendered unconscious from the startling blow. The spatters dripped down the walls and toward the center of the room where his pieces pooled to form his body again. He lay facedown on the floor, now bleeding even more profusely than before.

Brushing some of the black goo off of his shoulder, Ganon plodded over to his creature. Knowing that the puppet was unconscious, he spoke freely. "I have invested a great deal of time and material into you, my dog," he said, using his foot to roll his minion over onto its back. One broad paw was laid on his chest and the wizard awkwardly performed the unfamiliar art of healing upon him. "Though the Hero possesses both weapons and powers that you do not, your victory is ensured by your loyalty. However, let us not allow loyalties to change into emotions. I fear that you have formed an image of me unfit for an underling like yourself."

Once the abdominal cavity was closed, Ganondorf took his puppet by the chin and lifted him slightly, bringing his face close. The Gerudo, too, had begun to feel for his pet. This was the closest thing to a son that he could ever have… oh, but the thought angered him! He flushed the emotion from his mind with an angry growl as his grip on the puppet's cheeks tightened. "If you fail me..." he darkly threatened, his voice tremulous with passion,

"…I will destroy you."

Crap, this went onto a 4th page. It wasn't too long, was it? I hope you enjoyed. Read and review, my friends, because the more I get pestered the faster I write!


	2. The Failure

Well, this certainly was a long time in the making. Took me about a month, I'd say. It's a huge chapter, too; 10 pages in all. I hope it is to my audience's liking!

A thank-you to my four sweet reviewers. A common theme in the reviews was the request for a shounen-ai/yaoi fic. To tell the truth, I hadn't even thought that far ahead! I had one idea that involved creating an original character and inserting her into the storyline (which I hate to see in fics, personally), but now I just don't know. This long chapter sort of leaves that open.

One more note before we begin. The first section of this fic was inspired by another lovely fanfictionist's work. I suggest you go check it out. It's dirty and funny and just awesome, and I enjoyed it highly.

Read, review, and give me some ideas/insight. This chapter is pretty dirty. If you know me IRL, please don't read this, you'll think I'm weiiird! Lol

Rated WF for "wound fcking."

The night air was warm on Anju's skin. It was always warm and arid now that Death Mountain's volcano was once again active. The dry wind that blew across Kakariko village was killing the grass and the trees, withering them slowly; there had been no rain in the village for months. Even the great well beneath the windmill had dried up in the heat.

Against her better judgment, Anju had snuck out so late at night because she had forgotten to water her garden. Already, her tiny tomatoes and cucumbers were withering, much to her dismay. As she watered them, the soil seemed to reject the stream and the water beaded on the clay like it would on a newly waxed car. Anju sighed with exasperation, putting down her watering can and sitting there in the dry grass, letting her head hang. Ever since Castle Town had been overtaken, all of Hyrule was left in shambles. She felt insecure and frightened whenever she left her house, but being inside all the time was depressing her deeply. This was a very emotionally taxing time for all those who were unfortunate enough to have been left alive after Ganon's great siege.

The moon crept out from behind a silver cloud, and all of Kakariko was bathed in somber blue light. The House of Skulltula was silhouetted against the side of Anju's house, and atop it was perched an unfamiliar shadow. Anju observed this anomaly with wide eyes and slowly she rose, grabbing her watering can. She quickly began walking for the stairs to take her to her door, murmuring a soft prayer for the goddesses' protection as she did, but the shadow was much quicker than she. It pounced upon her, crushing her against the wall of her home and causing her to drop her watering can with a clatter. She opened her mouth to scream but was muffled by a gloved hand. Two wide ruby eyes stared into hers and the intruder used his free hand to wag a finger at her.

"Don't…"

His gripped her left arm tightly and clasped her head to his chest as he dragged her off with him, struggling as she was, southward toward the great well. He alighted on the rim of the empty well, bringing her up with him, and the pair leapt into its depths, descending into the darkness without a sound. The minion landed in a crouch, gripping the terrified maiden tightly in his arms.

At the bottom of the well stood a great stone slab, a seal on the evil that was therein contained. It looked to be a solid wall, but Ganon's dear creature knew better than to trust mere appearances. Closing his eyes, he fearlessly walked toward the wall, and Anju was sure he'd smack right into the boulder. But, much to her surprise, he walked right through the wall, and he brought her with him! Once they were past the magical barrier, he released his hand from her mouth. Immediately, Anju began her protest anew, violently writhing in his grip and screaming her lungs out. The minion had to struggle to keep her in check. After several minutes of incessant thrashing and yelling, the puppet of evil finally snapped, "Oh would you shut the hell up? Nobody but the ReDeads are going to hear you down here, and do you really want them coming to your rescue?"

The puppet's shouting shut her right up, but she continued to struggle weakly, starting to cry. "Where are you taking me?" she whimpered, only half-aware that they were walking through small, musty corridors and past foul, monstrous creatures. "Why are we down here, fairy-boy?" The puppet hated that title, but he didn't contest the 'accusation' of sorts. Ganon had told him to go about Hyrule making mischief, and this was exactly why: because he resembled the Hero so closely that it was easy for him to tarnish the golden reputation. He did not reply to the woman, but instead kept dragging her deeper and deeper into the rank chamber.

They entered into the center room, lined on each side by steel cages where hissing Skulltulas glared at them from the ceiling. In the center of the chamber was a great wooden X with chains on it, and to this the anti-hero bound his captive, struggling as she was. Wrists and ankles were fastened to the archaic torture device, and he stepped back from it when finished, drawing his black sword. The terrified woman screamed, tightly closing her eyes as he lifted the weapon, and she felt its tip graze her skin as he brought it down over her. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that she had not been struck dead, but her dress had fallen open and lazily floated to the floor.

"Now, let's see…" The evil puppet had procured a book from his tunic and began leafing through, examining the archaic print for the incantation he sought. "Why are we here, fairy-boy? What are you doing?" wailed the terrified Anju, blushing and panicking and crying all at once. The puppet silenced her with a wave of his hand, at the same time drawing a circle in the dust on the floor with the toe of his boot.

He snapped the volume shut and stood with his eyes closed, the book close to his parted lips. His fervent prayer was whispered in an ancient Gerudo tongue, one Anju did not recognize. She watched in horror, mesmerized, as the circle on the floor began to glow and a magical portal burst open. From beneath them came the moans of tormented souls, wailing in unspeakable agony, and a dozen rotting limbs burst forth. They desperately clawed at the floor, seeking a way out of their torment. "No no, guys, back in the hole," calmly chastised the dark puppet. He stomped on the hands with his boot, shooing them back into their imprisonment. Out from the hole in the floor seeped shadow, flowing out between the quivering arms, filling up the chamber like a shallow river. It flowed past the puppet's feet and over Anju's ankles. The temperature was arctic and she yelped at the shock.

Between the pair began forming the great shadow creature, a shapeless mass that towered over them both. Great purple eyes glared down at Anju hungrily and a mouth opened in the creature, a long tongue lolling from the gaping orifice. "Brother Shadow, so nice of you to join us," cooed Ganon's minion, bowing cordially. "You have been summoned by the great Ganondorf to sodomize this village's graveyard and breathe life into the Shadow Temple. We-" The puppet was interrupted – how rude! – by Anju's terrified wail, as the creature was tasting her soft flesh with his lengthy forked tongue. "We realize that you have no form yet, Brother," he went on as the evil creature circled the maiden, glaring upon her with hungry eyes. "Master Ganon is making for you now a worthy body to inhabit. We hope it will be to your liking. And, of course, to ensure your cooperation," he motioned to Anju with a flourish, "we offer you a virgin for your troubles."

The shadow creature consented to the wishes of Ganondorf by diving right in to the virgin sacrifice. Her screams were horrified and desperate as this brutal creature ravaged her like no man ever could. Leaving the two to their play, the dark minion exited the chamber, toting Ganon's book with him. The echoes of Anju's screams followed him all the way out of the village.

The black smog that suffocated Hyrule's Castle Town had thickened with the dark king's vile mood. The atmosphere was so heavy that even a ReDead would have trouble breathing. Storm clouds gathered about the town and thunder rumbled in the skies; rain was eminent. The lightening that flashed in the clouds silhouetted Ganon's great tower against the whiteness of the sky. For weeks, the king had been irritable and angry, shunning his minions, his servants, and even the sisters Twinrova. He would let no one tend to him. He did not eat, he would not sleep, and he had recently begun neglecting his dear pet. Nay, he just paced about and roared in helpless anger. It had been seven long years of 'peace' in his kingdom, but now, finally, his fears had come true.

The Hero had returned.

Ganon was brooding in his great throne room at the pinnacle of his tower. His large legs, thick as tree trunks, were spread wide as he sat hunched down in his chair. One massive paw half-hid his face as he glared into the pier glass before him. The glass was a magic mirror through which he could spy on any part of his kingdom at any time. Through it, he now observed the young Hylian hero valiantly battling against Ganon's phantom, slicing him to pieces with the baneful Master Sword. The massacre of the magnificent mannequin was almost too painful to watch.

Ganon had known all along that Link would return someday; it had been fated him, foretold by legend. The mighty Gerudo had been helpless to destroy the Kokiri while he was sealed away within the Sacred Realm, so he was given no choice but to fortify his new kingdom against the Hero's efforts. He had imprisoned the six holy sages, created hundreds upon thousands of dreadful minions to fend off Link, and fashioned six deadly dungeons to hopefully entrap and kill him, each with their own fearsome beasts within. But building all of these defenses was hard work and Ganon had borne the responsibility himself, perfectionist as he was. The Forest Temple had been completed with the installment of his Phantom, of whom Link was now making quick work. The Fire Temple, too, was finished, but that had been rushed; Volvagia was not a creature of Ganon's own design but a resurrected fire-spirit that he merely "borrowed" from ancient lore. The Water Temple was complete save for one element, and that was the imp that had been scampering about his tower for the past several weeks. The puppet had not been appointed to his guard yet because Ganon was becoming much too fond of his company. Now he had was currently working on the Shadow Temple, sewing together two great hands for Kakariko's evil shadow to manipulate, and he had just finished with the second when word came to him from an injured Moblin that Link had returned. His time was running short…

The great Gerudo sat on his throne for a long while, pondering his next move in this intricate game of chess. "Where is my creation?" he bellowed, sending away the mirror with a wave of his great paw. The tall doors to his throne room opened a crack and something like a black puddle slithered in through the door. It snaked up along the broad red carpet and stopped at a respectable distance from its master. Out of the small shadow sprang the form of Ganondorf's perfect minion. He had come directly upon hearing his Master's voice echo in the town. He was down on one knee, his right arm crossed over his chest and his fist poised over his heart. His head was bowed and eyes were closed. On his back rested an onerous shield emblazoned with the inverted Triforce and beneath that was sheathed a dark replica of the Master Sword. He was the purest example of loyalty and honor that Ganon had ever laid eyes on.

"Master," he spoke in a low voice, now opening those crimson eyes, "I await your instruction."

Ganondorf rose from his chair and tossed his cape behind him. "I know that you've witnessed my anger during these past few sleepless nights," he spoke in a low, exhausted tone. "When I took control of this kingdom near seven years ago today, my greatest dream came to fruition. But now comes the 'hero,' the one who will destroy my precious kingdom and all who rest in its peace." This unsettling news prompted the minion to lift his head irreverently, looking unto his Master with confusion in his eyes. "Although I've placed immense obstacles in his path," snorted the Gerudo, "he is struggling through the labyrinth with surprising speed, and with no evidence of losing hope.

"My puppet," he said, turning to his guest now with a flourish, "the time has come for you to serve your purpose. Look here!" The precious pier glass now hovered across the room and halted before the minion. He beheld Death Mountain in all its fiery glory and noticed a lone, stupid creature attempting to scale the treacherous heights. Ganon snuck around behind his creature and leaned in closely, near whispering into the pointed ear, which twitched upon feeling his warm breath. "This, my pet, is your brother, the one for whom you were so carefully molded after. You are his very mirror image, nay, his shadow - his dark side. He is the one threatening my royal reign of this blessed, shadowy land. His purpose is to kill us, my pet!" He saw the twin rubies dilate with anger and fear, and he grinned with satisfaction. "You possess all of his strengths and abilities. You have the power and the cunning to outwit this simple forest creature. It is he who you were destined to defeat!" The cold scarlet eyes followed the small green warrior as he struggled scale the crag's heights. He looked tired and weak. "Surely, this can't be my brother," said the darker twin, his lip curling as he sneered. "He seems far too feminine to be the Hero…"

"Ah! Don't underestimate your foes, my dear spawn," said Ganon, whisking the mirror away. He motioned for his puppet to rise but still he towered over him, smiling maliciously. " I am sending you forth to the Water Temple, and you will wait for him there. I have constructed for you a stadium where you can easily overpower him, an endless fog broken by a single tree." Ganon's volume began building in a frenzied crescendo. "There you will meet him when he comes, and there will you quash his journey! Kill him, my puppet, kill him and protect your country! Send him to his grave and ensure the future of this kingdom! Kill him and claim for yourself his name: Link!"

The name echoed though the halls of the tower like a resounding clap of thunder. The puppet's eyes were wide with desire and his mouth watered at the thought of bloodshed. He had trained for weeks at the hands of his Master, withstanding abuse and beatings that brought him within inches of his life. All these preparations had lead up to this moment, this chance to defeat his twin for the pleasure of his Master. Once this simple objective was complete, then would the puppet finally have a name, the name he would steal from a dead hero.

The Gephetto stood looking down at his puppet with great affection and pride. He was tremulous with emotion. "I expect great things of you, my creature," he rumbled, procuring a black pointed hat – resembling the caps of the Kokiri – from behind his back. In an almost loving gesture, he straightened out the hat with his great fingers and fitted it to the puppet's head, much to his dismay. After his master straightened his bangs to resemble the Hero's exactly, the shadow-creature lowered his head out of respect before he spoke.

"I swear, Master, I will not fail you."

The gates of Ganon's Tower were flung open to let in the driving rain, and out galloped the shadow, riding a fabulous ebony steed. They stopped just before leaving the courtyard and turned back to face the tower. Ganon stood at the very top, grinning at his pet from his balcony. "Ride, my creature, ride! The fate of our Hyrule rests upon your shoulders!"

The dark minion gave a triumphant howl before riding off toward the distant Lake Hylia. Ganon's eyes followed him into the castle town and out onto Hyrule plain, where he became nothing more than a mere dot on the horizon. Concern and worry marred his face as he turned and reentered his throne room, going back to his labor over Bongo-Bongo's body. He was sure that his creature would at least stall the hero, but Link was resilient. Although the outcome of the battle was uncertain, he hoped for the best.

The black horse's hooves sent spatters of rain flying as they pounded the ground, and water was soaking into the minion's tunic. He did not care; his foremost concern was to reach the Water Temple, and there to head off the Hero before he could get any deeper into Ganon's defenses.

Of course, we all know how this ends.

As the Hero entered through the northern door of the chamber and the gates came down behind him, the sinister shadow opened his eyes. He had immersed himself in meditation for days and had remained so until the Hero appeared. "_I must defeat him,_" he repeated to himself as a mantra, "_for the good of the kingdom…and for my father._" The small prayer was murmured one last time as he watched the hero move from one end of the arena to the other, seeking an exit. While the hero's back was turned, the anti-hero materialized himself.

"This room is like an endless puddle!" squeaked an unfamiliar voice. Out from the hero's hat flitted a tiny, glowing fairy who fluttered about, investigating the area. While she explored, Link wrapped his hands around the bars on the exit and yanked at them, but to no avail. "This door is stuck, Navi," sighed the hero. The sound of his voice made the evil creature's skin crawl, but at the same time he noticed the fatigue in Link's tone. "Let's see if we can find another." He turned then and began running off into the 'fog,' but he only ran a few feet before he slammed right into an invisible wall. With a startled yelp, he slid to the floor and held a bleeding nose, his eyes wide with pain.

The scene made the dark twin chortle, and the small noise caught the fairy's attention. "Link!" she exclaimed, and her surprised tone brought the hero to his feet. Staring out across the abyss at Link was another, just like him in size and in shape, leaning against that lone tree with his arms folded over his broad chest. "Welcome, Hero, to your tomb," he snarled, casually drawing his sword and readying his shield. Link did not hesitate to do the same, and the two promptly charged each other, their war cries echoing off unseen walls. The dual Master Swords met between them.

The shadow's main advantage over his adversary was that he'd been resting and preparing for this battle for days, while the hero had been running around the temple and was therefore almost exhausted. Their fighting styles were identical and their blades met each time between them, but the Hero was giving slightly to the shadow's force and he was backing himself into a wall. When Link pulled back for a jab, his elbow slammed into the dungeon wall and pain shot up his arm. Before he could move, the shadow had lodged the blade of his sword between the hilt and the blade of the Master Sword. With a deft twist, he wrenched the weapon from his adversary's grasp and threw it across the room. The Master Sword struck the tree and became lodged in its trunk. Before Link could react, the dark sword was beneath his chin, nipping at his neck and holding him pinned to the wall behind him.

"Well well, mighty hero," mused the puppet as he closed in on his prey. Both were amazed at just how identical they were; Ganondorf's handiwork was immaculate. The only difference was that the dark twin hated the tacky Kokiri cap. That had been tossed away long ago in favor of his ponytail. "It seems you have lost hardly before we have begun to fight. Poor thing, you look tired…" He twisted the blade and its deadly tip drew blood from Link's neck. "…perhaps an eternal sleep will ease your soul."

The dark puppet took after his Master; he was enjoying his treachery far too much to let it end quickly. He watched a thin trickle of blood run down the hero's neck, and the faint smell of it enticed him so. "Mmm," he murmured as a demented smile twisted his face. He leaned in and touched his nose to Link's chin, easing him gently to tilt his head back, and he traced the tip of his tongue along the trail of blood. The taste was sweet and warm, and he vainly sought more. He shifted his sword out of the way and pressed his lips against the small wound he'd made, violating the tiny orifice with his tongue. The crimson eyes were half-closed and as he suckled on the wound, tearing it open with his tongue, and he watched goosebumps prickle Link's skin. The sound of shifting fabric alerted him to the hero's movements. The dark shield hit the ground with a clatter and the puppet caught Link's left wrist in a strong grip, bringing it up to eye-level. Within the gloved hand was a strange brown seed that glowed gold within. "No tricks, Hero," sneered the puppet. Link snarled, exerting mighty force to flex his sore arm, and he threw the tiny weapon in his adversary's face.

The blinding flash was a shock to him and pain spread like fire over his face. He held his face and cursed in a foreign tongue as Link slipped away from him. The puppet heard heavy footsteps running off toward the dead tree, and he gripped his sword strongly in one hand. With a mighty lunge, he blindly threw his sword like a javelin in the direction of those footsteps. The Hero's anguished cry let him know that he hit his target and he plodded off in that direction, rubbing madly at his eyes to eradicate the spots.

When he reached the Hero, he coldly glared down at his handiwork. The sword had pierced Link through the middle from behind. The puppet grasped the hilt and wrenched the weapon out of Link's body, and the Hylian screamed in agony. The pungent scent of blood was getting the minion aroused and as he sat himself on Link's back, Link could feel an unfamiliar bulge poking him. He didn't have time to dwell on that discomfort, though, as the puppet had taken his bangs and wrenched his head back, bending his spine at a painful angle.

"Why must you resist, you stupid dog?" growled the puppet as he pressed his cheek against Link's. The hero's warm tears moistened his skin. "I'm trying to do you a favor here, to grant you eternal rest. Aren't you tired of being Hyrule's bitch?" Link clenched his jaw, closing his eyes tightly as his brow twitched in pain. "L-Look who's talking…You're nothing bu-ut Ganondorf's bi-itch…" While Link struggled to speak, the puppet felt his trousers becoming moist. Looking down, he saw that Link's blood was seeping into his clothes. With a snarl, he pressed his rock-hard bulge into the gushing wound, eliciting a pained cry from the fallen hero. "Nonsense, Hero," he spoke calmly, "none of us are Ganon's slaves. We serve him will-…-ingly…." His voice trailed off as he felt an unfamiliar twinge in his body. He looked down at himself quizzically, wondering why his hips were involuntarily shifting. Ganon really _had_ made him pretty damn well; he had urges he didn't even know existed.

He didn't know why he was doing it, but the movement was clearly paining the hero, who clenched his teeth and growled in pain. Therefore, he continued with gusto. "We serve Ganon willingly, Hero, all of us! You stand no chance against our might." He planted his hands on the ground on either side of himself, letting Link's face fall to the floor, and continued thrusting harder, covering his entire lower half in the Hero's blood. The warmth soothed his strange urge while at the same time augmenting it, and he closed his eyes as his breathing quickened, the occasional grunt escaping his lips. With each thrust, he was disrupting Link's bruised innards, and the hero's eyes rolled in pain as he cried out, partially muffled by the shallow pool of blood and water that he was drowning in. Navi squeaked in horror and flew to Link's side, concealing herself at his belt. The shadow noticed her despite her efforts and grabbed her in one great paw. "Get lost, firefly," he snarled, trying to yank her away from her partner. She held something tightly in her hands, though, and was not letting go. As he pulled her away – which she was counting on him doing – he was also pulling the cork that she had such a tight grip on. When the cork gave with a pop, he held the fairy at eye-level, snarling. But then he noticed the bottle-stopper. What was that for?

Up from the floor rose a lovely pink fairy. She emitted a soft, healing light that made the minion hiss and shrink back in anger. He dismounted the fallen hero and stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the light, getting as far from it as possible. His ears caught the sound of the Master Sword being freed from its imprisonment and opening his eyes, he beheld a shiny new hero. Link stood with a snarl scrawled across his handsome face, his sword and shield ready in his hands again. The feat so stunned the puppet that he couldn't seem to move for several minutes. Link was trembling with anger and hatred and the emotion evident in his eyes captivated the confused young minion. Again he felt that strange, pleasing twinge, and an awkward smile subconsciously passed his lips.

Link eyes were lit with rage as he lunged at his doppelganger and slashed for his chest, drawing blood with the Master Sword. There was something odd about this sword that made the wound sting terribly. The evil puppet sprang back with a yelp and faded into nothingness, reappearing behind Link, at his tree. He clutched his wound tightly and although it was small compared to what he was accustomed to, it burned like fire. Looking down, he noticed that the wound was getting larger. The holy Master Sword was searing his skin. The minion's sword and shield returned to his hands, and he was again ready to fight, although now much more defensive than before.

The Hylian twins went at it again for several more minutes. It was now Link who had the upper hand. His renewed body and seething anger had quickened his movements and sharpened his skills. He quickly realized that he would not win this battle with the sword. The dark twin took a slash for his head and Link blocked with the Master Sword. His grip weakened and he let the sword be torn from his grip. "Ha!" weakly chuckled the injured puppet, "what will you do without your only weapon?"

"My only weapon?" The dark puppet looked with astonishment upon his rival, who had three deadly arrows strung upon his bow. He let them fly and each pierced the evil minion: one in the chest, the stomach, and the leg. These, too, melted his flesh away as though tipped with acid. He cried out in shock and dropped his sword and shield, reaching down to try and pull them out, panicking.

Something thick, heavy, and sharp now buried itself in the minion's gut, twisting around his innards and locking itself in before wrenching him toward the Hero. The hookshot was a deadly weapon when used on an enemy. Link was now the dominant of the pair, towering over the struggling minion who dangled helplessly from the hookshot, blood pouring into the water below him and staining it crimson. He struggled in vain, his pupils dilating in fear, his long tongue lolling out as he began to unintelligibly hiss and babble. The more he struggled, the more pain he felt; the sadist weapon was tearing him apart inside. Link grabbed him by the throat and pulled him up to eye-level, sneering into the panicking eyes. "Nobody likes a doppelganger," he murmured, a pure coldness in those blue eyes. He took up the Master Sword was turned around in his fist and with a great heave, he buried the blade into his evil twin's face.

The body fell lifeless as the fog in the room began dissipating. The south door was un-barred and Link went through without struggle. The dark puppet quietly sobbed on the floor into the miserable puddle of his blood, and slowly he sank into the water. He vanished, cast out of the temple by Ganon's power.

Ganondorf was toiling again at the top of his tower. In his two great arms, he held a massive ocular orb, muscles straining to uphold that which would be Bongo-Bongo's eye. He had created the head thus far and carefully inserted the gigantic eye into its socket. A soft incantation magically held the orb in place so that he could go around the figure and attach the eye inside the beast. As he went around and began working on the delicate eye-socket, he heard that voice again. His dear puppet, the damned failure, lay crumpled on the ground far below Ganon's balcony, wailing hysterically as he clung to the edge of the lava pit. The bridge had been taken down, so there was no way for him to reach his home.

"Father!" he cried hoarsely, "Father, let me in! Please! I'm hurt!" He sobbed pathetically, digging his bloody fingers into the hole in his stomach. Although it was a wound he would survive, it still hurt more than the others. Damned Master Sword. "Father, please! Don't abandon me!"

Ganon found that he couldn't work with the puppet carrying on like that outside. His hands were shaking with emotion and as he abandoned his work, he challenged his emotion into rage. He stormed out onto his balcony and glared down upon his creation, his eyes full of disappointment and rage. "Don't you _dare_ call me that again!" he bellowed, and the creature's exasperated caterwauling followed. His chest heaved with shallow breath and he struggled to lift himself up. "Please, let me in!" he implored again, raising one hand to his surrogate now. "I'm begging you, Father!"

Ganon's bowels moved within him and he felt as though he was going to be ill. He gripped the banister tightly but his rage faltered for a moment as he beheld the miserable creature. Blood-soaked and battered by rain, the puppet lay in a small lake of his own lifeblood. A great open wound marred his face; the Hero had stabbed him through his mouth, from one cheek through to the other, thus considerably widening the orifice. With each heartfelt cry, one could see his diaphragm contract with the effort of extracting air from his lungs. The puppeteer recalled vividly just how he had installed the great muscle, stretching it tight across the ribcage to get it taut. The minion's fingers and hair were caked with blood and his face was mutilated with blood and tears and dirt, for he had a great ordeal in dragging himself back to the castle. "Father! Father!" he screamed over and over again, his vocal chords just about snapping in his throat. He tried to lift himself up, to bring himself closer to his dear parent, but the effort exhausted him. He slumped down to the ground, his face twisted in agony, and his head hung over the edge of the fire pit. He lay wheezing, paling as his veins slowly began drying up.

No matter how much he cared for his creature, Ganon could demand nothing less than perfection from any of his minions. Rather than teleporting himself outside, he opted for the long way out, descending his massive tower by way of the stairs. What seemed like hours later, the bridge reformed outside of the tower door and the great Gerudo's footsteps shook the earth as he traversed it. He stopped a mere few feet from his puppet. His voice was low and the deafening rain made their conversation quite personal.

"You failed me," he quietly rumbled. His tone was calm and he did not seem angry. The puppet turned to face his master, his cheeks streaked with tears, his eyes red from crying. "M-Master… h-his sword bit like f-f-fire…" Slowly, carefully, he extended his arms and began dragging himself across the ground, toward his Master. "A-And he had more than just that. He h-had this terrible, awful weapon… with a chain…" "I know, my pet," crooned the Gerudo, closing his eyes. "Master!" wailed the injured minion, now clinging to his creator's ankles. He hugged his father's legs just below his knees, burying his face into the muscles and sobbing again. "Master, I failed you!" he cried, retracting into a fetal position.

Ganon opened his eyes again, gazing down upon his creature, who instead of begging for his life agonized over his failure. "I have invested too much time into you to destroy you as I have my other creations," he spoke, reaching down to lift his creature up by the nape of his neck. The minion hung lazily, just as he had when he had been born, but now much gorier than before. "Just because I'm letting you live," he murmured, "doesn't mean that you will go unpunished."

Ganon's eyes burned into his little minion's soul, even as he healed up the garish wounds. "Take your weapons and go. I do not want to see a trace of you in this castle town unless you have exterminated the Hero yourself. Follow him, find him, and do your best to get rid of him. You are dead to me," snarled the evil king, "unless you succeed in this task.

"So go!" he yelled, tossing his puppet away once he was healed. He landed again in his pool of blood and it spattered onto his skin, replacing the dried tears. The minion looked helplessly upon his master, searching for some sympathy, for some trace of compassion in his eyes. Ganon turned away, reassuring his pet of his disappointment.

"And should anyone ask who you are, tell them that you are 'Dark Link.' Worthless creature: borrow the hero's name until you have fulfilled your purpose."


	3. The Change

So I wrote myself into a hole. With the last few chapters of "To Be Real" I totally wrote myself into a hole. Actually, in retrospect, the title doesn't make much sense anymore either. Ah well.

I'm literally going back to the drawing board, starting with chapter three of this story. Some things are going to confuse you but rest assured that it will all be explained in the next chapter – which will come quite soon, as next week is Spring Break.

---

He sat out in Hyrule Field, far hidden from view of the Castle Town, lest his father see him. He sat atop a knoll that overlooked the small pond connected to the great Zora's River. His head hung low and he watched the clouds roll by in the reflection of the water. He knew that he was supposed to be chasing after the Hero, but he needed a moment to himself after the trauma of the past several hours.

"Dark Link." He closed his eyes tightly as though in pain, hanging his head lower. "M-My name is… Dark Link." How degrading that his master should give him such a moniker! It was a borrowed name, an edited name, not the true name that he deserved. He groaned deep in his chest and unfurled himself, lying back against the dewy grass with a heavy thump. The rain had stopped, thank goodness, but a chilly breeze blew past and made him shiver in his damp clothes.

His mind wandered as he huddled for warmth, retuning to the battle he'd had with the Hero. The exhausting fighting and excruciating pain aside, there was something about the battle that disturbed him. When he was sitting atop the hero, when he was 'hurting' him with his body, it had felt oddly…pleasurable. But not in the "oo yay I'm killing him" way; this feeling was much different. It had been a strange twinge in his body that lead him to continue his onslaught, and the hero's cries had just made him more fervent. Now, as Link's agonized whimpers echoed in his mind, he again felt that twinge. Inquisitive, Dark sat up and looked down upon himself, promptly yipping with alarm. There was something wrong with him; he looked swollen! Between his legs sat a large lump that hadn't been there before. When he poked it, he found that it was hard and full of fluid. He hopped to his feet and danced around in a panic before pushing off the confining trousers. There hung – no, stood – a swollen appendage that was pinkish and throbbing and slightly achy. He investigated himself but found no cuts, no strange bite-marks; he hadn't been poisoned. So why did this hurt him so?

"Go away!" he whimpered, taking hold of himself and trying to squeeze it down, to stop the blood-flow. Grasping it just seemed to agitate it more, though, and he hopped from foot to foot, cheeks reddening as he became more frustrated and more embarrassed.

"Excuse me," spoke a soft voice behind him. Dark Link whirled around, his eyes wide, his penis hiding in his hands. "Can I help… you…" Just as wide-eyed as he, the ranch girl Malon stood with a pair of water buckets hanging on a yoke over her shoulders. She dropped them with a clatter as she saw what he was holding and covered her face with her hands, screaming. "You brute!" she cried, "What are you doing?" Reeling in panic, Dark looked around for an escape. With only a moment's hesitation, he desperately threw himself into the shallow pond, immersing himself entirely in the water. He pulled up his trousers again before commencing a hurried migration downstream, moving like a swift fish with the current.

When Malon opened her eyes again, she saw him beneath the water, making his escape. She shuddered, picking up her water buckets, and hurried away. She could get water somewhere else…

Dark resurfaced far downstream and dragged himself onto the shore, coughing and sputtering. Although he hadn't been in any real danger of drowning, in his panic he had lost his breath quickly underwater. His stomach twisted inside and he groaned in discomfort, clutching his abdomen. River scum poured out of his open mouth as he struggled and wretched on the bank.

"Oh you poor dear!" He became aware that someone was bent over him and that a soft cloth was being used to dry his hair. "What were you doing swimming in this chilly stream? You'll catch your death like that!" He lifted his tired eyes to see a portly, middle-aged woman looking down at him with absolute pity. Behind her she had a basket filled with pathetically small plants, used as cooking and healing herbs. "Look at you, you look like a drowned cat! And so skinny, too!" She hauled him up by his arm, picking up her basket with the other. "Come on, it isn't safe for us to be out here, not under the shadow of that evil tower. Let's get you inside where it's nice and warm."

Dark could say nothing as he was hustled along up the stone stairs toward Kakariko village. He looked back toward Ganon's tower in longing. A seed of resentment began growing in his heart as he lamented his abandonment.

Ah, at least the cold river water had taken care of his pants problem.

---

"I've been living here all my life and never have I seen it so bad," sighed Uula, sadly shaking her head. The lovely heavyset woman set down another heaping bowl of stew in front of Dark Link. The famished creature dug in to his third helping with gusto. "All of Hyrule is overrun with beasts and monsters, our women are being carried off and terrorized in the night, and all the herbs in my garden are absolutely dried up!" Uula sat down across from Dark at the table, smiling. "If I had fresh herbs, I'd make you a lot more than just that bland stew."

"Oh, the stew is wonderful," Dark commented, spooning himself another mouthful. The way to Dark's heart was clearly through his stomach, as he was opening up to and speaking freely with this peasant woman. He went on, although meat and potatoes were crammed in his maw. "But I don't understand. Hyrule is at peace now! With all the lands unified under Ganon's rule, the five races of Hyrule aren't warring with each other. Everyone knows their place and serves under the powerful Ganondorf willingly. Only those who don't serve him get punished."

"Just because there is no war doesn't mean that this is peace." Uula leaned over the tabletop to look at Dark more closely. "There was true peace in the reign that existed before Ganondorf. The Royal Family was the first regime to bring peace to all of Hyrule. Our lands were joyous and beautiful," she sighed, looking out the window with sadness. "I suppose that from the outside, things do look peaceful, but that is only because all of us are living in fear! I just wish that things were back to normal, the way they were before Ganondorf took over the kingdom. I wish that all of the monsters were gone from this village and that we could all live in harmony again." She sadly shook her head and Dark could see tears in her eyes. "We fear for our lives and for our children's future. Even the Hero of legend has turned out to be a disappointment." That sure got Dark's attention.

Uula noted his interest and she leaned in, whispering. "That Hero, he's scum! One night many moons ago…" Dark figured he knew how this ended, but a ruckus that arose outside the window distracted them both.

"Ruffian!"

"Disgusting little imp!"

"How could you do such a thing?"

"Terrorizing a defenseless woman!"

Link jumped back as someone threw a clay jar at him. It shattered at his feet. "Honestly, I don't have any idea what you're talking about!" he said, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. He really had no idea what was going on. One minute he was casually strolling into Kakariko village hoping to find a warm meal and a soft bed. In the next minute, he was surrounded by an angry mob and being blamed for some heinous crime he couldn't have committed!

Far in the rear of the mob slumped a whimpering Anju, clinging to the shoulders of the man who comforted her. Her piercing blue eyes were trained on the hero who looked to her pleadingly. "Anju," he yelled to her, "What are they talking about?"

"Don't play stupid, fairy-boy! You know what you did!" she wailed, letting go of her protector now and pushing forward through the crowd. "You brute, you kidnapped me and threw me down into the well! You left me to die there, to be turned into a monster." The crowd parted around her, letting her to the front. Thus far, Link had only been able to see her upper body but now that she stood before him, he immediately became aware that she was enormously pregnant. "And now," she wailed, "Now look what's become of me!"

Behind the safety of the windowpane, Dark went slackjawed. Anju was pregnant? By Bongo-Bongo no less! But how was that even possible? Stew broth began dribbling down his chin and as he attempted to slurp it back up, Dark began to choke. "Oh, dear are you alright?" Uula slapped him on the back so hard that he fell to the floor.

Anju collapsed onto the grass and held her face in her hands as she sobbed. Some of the village women came around her to comfort her while the men closed in again on Link. The Hero gave up on trying to defend himself and instead cautiously backed away. He was backing himself toward the empty well and thought that he may have to jump in to save himself. The scowling faces of the villagers darkened as they closed in on him.

The ground beneath their feet began to violently tremble as Link bumped against the well. "An earthquake?" Navi questioned, "But Death Mountain should be dormant since you defeated Volvagia!" Link looked up to the horizon with alarm but saw no smoke in the sky. "Can't be," he replied, "But whatever it is, it's something big."

The villagers around him began to flee, expressions of terror scrawled across their faces. Link saw that he was falling beneath a great and growing shadow and slowly, cautiously, he turned to see what lurked behind him. There stood the solid mass of darkness, the purple-eyed Bongo-Bongo. He could hear Anju's terrified scream somewhere far off. The Hero himself was frozen in horror, unable to move his legs, and he could do nothing as the monster lifted him off the ground.

A thousand needles dug into his exposed skin and he felt warm liquid oozing into his ears. His eyes went blank as Bongo-Bongo infiltrated his mind. This was the only way for the primitive and inarticulate beast to discover who this was. At the same time, Link was getting an unwilling glimpse into the evil apparition's 'mind'. He struggled and yelled, trying desperately to free himself of Bongo-Bongo's deadly grasp. Images of terror and brutality flashed through Link's mind.

…His parents lay dead, disfigured and mauled by the members of a warring tribe. His mother's beautiful face had been shorn for use by the mask-maker. He could see her ivory bones poking through the patches of gore…

He pressed his nails into the shadowy bonds, shaking his head wildly back and forth, struggling for his freedom.

…The Kokiri forest was ablaze and it reeked of blood and death. A funerary burning pile had been made of the Deku Tree. The bodies of the Kokiri children were all tossed inside, most of them still half-alive but maimed into helplessness. All were burned together. Their screams reached the heavens…

He pressed his boots against Bongo-Bongo's body and began desperately kicking at him to get free.

…The lovely princess Zelda lay stretched out in her pure white bedroom. Her sheets were stained red with the blood that flowed from her open mouth and empty eye sockets. Her legs lay spread in an unnatural position, probably broken by her attacker so that he could more easily access her. Her face was frozen in an expression of terror…

Finally, Bongo-Bongo released him. Link fell to the ground with a heavy thud, trembling uncontrollably as he held his aching head. The shadow creature watched him for a few tense minutes, debating inwardly over what to do. Dark watched from the window with wide eyes. It looked for a moment as though he was going to kill the Hero. Instead, however, he turned away and swiftly headed for the graveyard. There, somewhere, was the body he'd been promised by the shadow imp. He would wait to defeat the Hero in the arena designed for them.

---

It took the Hero hours to recover from the horrifying images that had been planted in his head. Despite his shaken state, however, he knew that he needed to immediately press on. Even if he wanted to hang back, he certainly wasn't welcome in Kakariko Village. So he wasted little time and dove head-first into the murky depths of the Shadow Temple. But Bongo-Bongo had certainly done a number on him. He was skittish and jumpy, behaving like a scared cat every time he encountered an enemy. The macabre décor of the dungeon wasn't helping his state of mind. His progress was slow and exhausting, his heart pounding out of his chest the entire way.

Shortly after exiting the cell in which he'd defeated Dead Hand, he stopped in the hallway and clutched his head with a groan. Here the spirits whispered about "Hyrule's bloody history" and it reminded him of the image of his dead parents. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, breathing heavily. When he tried to close his eyes to block out the horrifying scenery of the dungeon, he found the image of the dead Zelda permanently imprinted on his eyelids. He could do nothing to escape his panic.

"Link, are you alright?" squeaked Navi, cautiously approaching him. The hero lifted his hand and nodded, unable to give a verbal reply between gasping breaths.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link thought he'd spotted an approaching enemy. He let out a yelp and leapt to his feet, reaching for his sword.

"Link, relax!" Navi yelled, tugging on his ear. "It's only your shadow!" Indeed, Link had been scared by his own shadow. He nervously laughed, dropping his sword. "Y-Yeah, so it is," he stammered, looking away in shame. "I guess you w-were right, Navi. We should have w-waited before coming into the Shadow Temple."

But Link let his guard down too soon. Two bright red eyes opened in Link's shadow and made sure that neither the fairy nor the Hylian were watching before springing into action. Dark Link sprang up from Link's shadow and caught him about the neck. Link didn't have time to cry out before he was roughly pinned against the wall. His hands came up to try and push Dark's arm back but his efforts were all in vain. The puppet was strong and volatile.

"Idiot hero," snarled the evil twin, "don't resist. You look scared and tired, so don't waste your energy. Just relax." As Dark spoke, he pressed his fingers into Link's neck just below the ear. The Hero made a horrible choking sound and his struggle became desperate. But those blue eyes went blank and he slumped against the wall, an expression of shock frozen on his face. Navi squeaked in horror, flying down toward Link's belt to see what item she could find to help him. Dark saw her this time, though, and grabbed her by the wings. "No, no. Save your fairies for when he's really hurt."

"Let me go!" Navi spat, struggling against the creature's calloused fingers. "What did you do to him?"

"I just put him to sleep. He looks haggard, don't you think?" He let Navi go, fairly certain that she wouldn't freak out, but she began circling his head, helpless and agitated. He ignored her fussing and squeaking, roughly hoisting Link up over his shoulder and carrying him down the hallway.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she warned, getting in Dark's face. "That's the Hero of Time! You put him down this instant!"

"Oh I know who he is," Dark mused, "and I know why he's here. He wants to defeat Bongo-Bongo and awaken the fourth sage. Whatever." They'd arrived at the great chasm leading toward the dungeon's entrance. Dark set Link down with utmost care, removing the Hover Boots from the Hero's feet and fitting them to his own. "But look at him! He's exhausted, he's skittish. He wouldn't stand a chance against the shadow lord in this condition."

"So what are **you** going to do about it?" hissed Navi, following Dark Link out of the dungeon. Dark laid the Hero down just inside the entrance so that the perpetual downpour outside the temple wouldn't get him sick. He then reached down to grab the hilt of the sheathed Master Sword. The holy metal burned his skin and he hissed, jumping back in surprise. Determined, maybe, but certainly stubborn, Dark wasn't about to let irrefutable legend get in his way. He tore a strip of black cloth from the hem of his tunic and with it securely wrapped the bare flesh of his left hand. Now when he grasped the Master Sword, it didn't hurt him at all. He took up the Hylian Shield as well, fitting the awkward defense onto his arm.

"**We**," he spoke to Navi, smiling to her antagonistically, "are going to do this in his stead."

---

I hope my descriptions were adequate… Read and review! Next chapter due hopefully next week.


	4. The Escape

So I decided to write again.

I don't know what made me pick up the pen – so to speak – and crank out another chapter. But whatever the case, I am pleased with it. I hope you will be, too. Read and review, as having people show interest is the best way to get the author motivated.

By the way, none of these characters truly belong to me, but I re-designed Dark Link somewhat to fit my own vile purposes. Thus his design – appearance-wise – belongs to me.

---

So _why_ was he doing this?

The question badgered Dark Link incessantly during his entire trek through the Shadow Temple. Here were his brothers, his fellow minions, all created by the Evil King in the Tower. He was fighting and killing his own kind and they were doing their best to hamper his progress toward the boss. He carried the mark of the Hero – the Hylian shield – and the hated Master Sword. These near-blind night-creatures saw only these symbols of the Hero of Time and not the face of the Imp of Shadow. They did not recognize him as one of their own and therefore unleashed all the fury of Ganondorf upon the unholy doppelganger. They fought furiously against him and although they all fell beneath the sword, he still sustained moderate damage from each encounter.

So why _was_ he doing this?

When this question wasn't silently nagging him, Navi was loudly nagging him. "What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Where do you think you're going? Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Buzzing around Dark's hear, Navi was more of a distraction than a partner. She wasn't the least bit of help – especially when fighting Dead Hand, dare I say – and she liked to speak up and ask questions at the worst times.

As Dark fought the Stalfos warriors on the great Spirit Barge, his fairy friend was being especially pesky. She ducked under the high swing of a Stalfos's blade, squeaking at Dark, "We should not be going this deep into the temple! We need to turn back and get Link; only he can defeat the temple boss!" Dark blocked the deadly swing with the Hylian Shield and brought the Master Sword up over his defense. The holy blade splintered one of the Stalfos' skulls into bits and Dark stood leering over the skeletal corpse as it fell to the ground and melted away. He was caught off guard, however, as the second soldier struck him in the back. Dark cried out as the fiercely curved blade bit into his shoulders, tearing away flesh and muscle. The new and excruciating pain coupled with his fatigue pushed him to the edge of unconsciousness. He pitched forward off of the edge of the ship. Luckily, he landed safely on the grassy peninsula at the other side of the river and not into the chilly waters.

The shock of hitting the solid ground jarred him back to reality. "Navi!" he bellowed, scaring the fairy out of her wits. Groaning while he sat up, Dark craned his neck to examine the deep gash across his back. "Please," he sighed, "I brought you along so that you could help me, not bug me to death."

"Well what do you expect me to do?" she huffed, "You're not my partner." But watching Dark wince in pain as his fingers probed the depth of his wound, Navi felt pangs of guilt in her chest. She flitted over toward the far wall where several clay jars lay scattered. "Ganondorf isn't the only one who's been in these dungeons. The sages left some things here for Link to use when he gets tired or hurt. Here."

Navi went into one of the jars and pulled out a small heart. She struggled to carry it to Dark Link who accepted it in an open palm. It was a tiny glass heart-shaped container no bigger than his palm. Inside sloshed some thick red liquid. "It's a red potion," she said. "It will heal your wounds."

Dark bit the cork off of the vessel and took a hearty drink, promptly coughing and spitting as the medicine burned in his throat. It was a strong elixir but it worked rapidly and the pain in his shoulders quickly subsided. He mumbled a "thank you" as he stood, brushing blades of grass from his black tunic. He turned toward the nearest door then, drawing the Master Sword. Navi flitted to his side, illuminating his path with her soft light. "All we need now is to get the boss key. That will gain us access into the boss's chamber." Dark nodded and the pair headed silently onward toward their next challenge. From that point on, Navi proved herself much more helpful.

After defeating a few more ReDeads and several bothersome Wallmasters, Dark was ready to face Bongo-Bongo. He entered into the dark foyer before the boss's door and stopped to take a rest. "No wonder that hero always looks so haggard," he commented, wiping sweat from his forehead. He planted the Master Sword in the ground and shook his left hand rapidly as though shaking hot water from it. He had bound his hand when taking up the Master Sword but his precautions had not completely protected him from harm. Some of his bandages had moved during his struggles and he had tiger-striped burns on his palm and fingers.

Navi noticed the burns and felt another pang of pity. "The Master Sword is the blade of evil's bane," she quoted. "When it touches you-"

"It burns like hell," Dark finished for her.

"Well, that's not what I was going to say," Navi huffed. "Dark, you're in pain and you're tired. This isn't your job; this is Link's duty. Why are you doing this?"

Dark closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand. He suddenly seemed introverted and uncomfortable. "You'll… think it's stupid."

Such a self-conscious uttering from one of Ganon's hated minions startled the fairy. Confused though she was, she coaxed him, "I won't think it's stupid. Please, tell me your reason."

Dark sighed heavily, hanging his head and staring intently at his boots. "There is a woman I met in town," he explained in the quietest voice he could. "She was very kind to me, nicer to me than anyone else has been. She brought me into her home not knowing who or what I was. She fed me and talked with me. She made me feel human." He raised his eyes to the soft light hovering above his head. "She told me about how she wished that things were 'normal.' She wished that the monsters were gone from this village. I felt that I had to do this to her in return for her kindness."

"But these are Ganondorf's monsters," Navi said, hovering eye-level with him now.

"I know," Dark replied, shamefully casting his gaze downward again. "But Ganondorf is no longer my Master. I am free to make my own decisions now. Although my allegiance ultimately rests with him," he spoke as he stood up, wrapping his hand up tightly again, "I believe it is my duty to repay that woman. Ganon told me to not come back until I'd defeated the Hero. That was his only order."

Navi fell silent as the pair casually sauntered into Bongo-Bongo's chambers. Unlike Link, who was a pure Hylian, Dark needed no Lens of Truth to see the one-eyed beast in the cavern. As soon as he stepped up onto the great drum in the center of the dungeon, he could see Bongo-Bongo staring him down. Unlike the less-intelligent creatures of Ganon's army, the dungeon boss recognized Dark immediately. Although confused, he made a low noise of greeting and offered Dark Link a large hand of welcome. This was, after all, the person who had awakened him and offered him that nubile young virgin.

Laying eyes on that large open palm, Dark's determination evaporated. His whole world came to a screeching halt. His posture went limp and the Hylian shield slid down Dark's arm and hit the ground with a clatter. The Master Sword looked as if it was going to fall as well. Navi held back now, not knowing which way this unpredictable creature was going to turn. Dark stared with wondrous, tired eyes into the open hand of the Shadow Lord. It was an offering of welcome and friendship from one of Ganon's creations. Bongo-Bongo's hands looked so like his father's. Calloused and rough, they felt somehow inviting. How he wished he could feel Ganon's hand against his cheek again, even if it was for a slap.

"_I wish that all of the monsters were gone from this village and that we could all live in harmony again… We fear for our lives…"_

Bongo-Bongo screeched in agony, abruptly withdrawing as Dark embedded the Master Sword into his flesh, nearly severing his broad pinky. Dark was overcome with a sudden and inexplicable feeling of rage. His eyes glowed a fiery red and he let out a yowl of anger as he freed his weapon from the burning flesh of the shadow beast. His voice took on a strange quality. It was as though he was speaking with many different voices at once. "Shadow Lord!" he bellowed, "Do not treat us as your friend! We are here to defeat you for the restoration of Hyrule!"

Bongo-Bongo snarled, his eye turning red now. He would not let his guard down again. He came at the shadow puppet with a barrage of attacks, trying to hit him, trying to squish him, trying to make a sticky paste out of his fleshy body. As feverishly as he tried, Dark could not for the life of him get a single hit in. He was much too busy trying to stay alive to fight back. The struggle went on for what felt like ages and although Dark was built for fighting, even he quickly wore out.

The bandages on his left hand wore away gradually but he ignored the pain in his flesh. It wasn't until it became physically impossible to hold the Master Sword that he noticed something was wrong. As he threw his arm backward to jab toward Bongo-Bongo's hand, the hilt slipped from his grasp. The mighty sword went sailing across the chamber and clattered against the wall. "Dark, what's wrong?" squeaked Navi, flying in close to look him over. Dark stared at his hand in disbelief, finding that the flesh of his palm had worn away to expose the bone. He hadn't noticed the blood soaking into his clothes until now. It would be impossible for him to fight if he was unable to hold a weapon. The brightness in his ruby eyes began to fade. He froze, his eyes widening, as he fell under the shadow of Bongo-Bongo's outstretched hand.

Just before it came down upon him to crush him, the beast shrank back with an agonized hiss. Black blood dripped from the giant hand as it fell limp before Dark, six deadly blades embedded in its eye. The dark twin didn't have time to react before the second hand - which had been closing in on him from the side - suffered the same fate.

"Link!" squeaked Navi joyfully. Sure enough, the Hero of Time stepped up to take the Master Sword from the ground. He shot Dark a glance of bewilderment before looking up and catching his shield. Dark turned to his left, from where the shield had been thrown, and he saw someone new standing near him. An angry looking Shiekah boy with choppy blonde bangs and a crimson scowl met his gaze.

"What are you staring at, meddler?"

"Sheik! We don't have time for him," Link said, motioning to Bongo-Bongo's twitching hands. The other boy nodded, joining Link as the three brave souls ran into the heart of danger. Dark watched the fight with wide eyes, marveling at their skillful teamwork.

They made short work of the Shadow Lord and Bongo-Bongo was consumed by the darkness of his hell once again. As the two brave warriors claimed their victory, the dark twin – now once again in full control of all his faculties – slipped away into the shadows.

---

"So you're saying he was trying to help?"

The two brave light warriors stared at the helpless fairy in disbelief. Navi looked from one incredulous face to the other, nodding vigorously. "He said that he was doing a favor for a woman he'd met in town. He only really borrowed your sword, Link, and obviously the Hover Boots. That is, of course, why I followed him," Navi said, a hint of guilt in her tone.

Link and Sheik shared a wary glance. "It makes no sense," the Hero spoke. "He's … evil! He's one of Ganondorf's best creations, the hardest to beat. What's with the sudden change of heart?" Link folded his arms, huffing. "I don't trust him one bit."

"You don't need to trust him," Sheik said as he leaned back against the entrance to the Shadow Temple. "There is nothing in the prophecies that mentions him. He is not an integral part of your success. Logically, he should have been defeated by now."

"But he's not that bad of a guy," Navi piped up. "He was mean and evil before because of what Ganondorf had told him to do. Now he's his own person. Now he's making better decisions."

"Still," Sheik spoke, "he is unpredictable. It would be best to keep him at a distance, if not to ignore him altogether. I will keep an eye on him for you," he said, looking to the Hero. "It is important for you to continue your journey immediately."

"No problem," Link said with a grin. The once exhausted Hero pulled at the delicate silver chain around his neck. On it hung several crystal heart containers, including the newest one that he'd won after defeating Bongo-Bongo. "I'm ready to go. You too, Navi?"

"Y-Yeah," she said, slipping inside the shelter of Link's hat. She was trying hard to hide her reluctance. "Let's go."

"To the desert, then," Link said, hopping over the gate and down into the graveyard. "That's where we should find the fifth sage and maybe even some more information about Ganondorf's past. Are you coming Sheik?"

When the Shiekah boy didn't answer, Link turned to see why but no one was there. The little spy was already gone, off to some other far-away adventure without the Hero. Link sighed, walking down the path toward Kakariko village. "That guy sure is strange," he spoke, "but I'm glad for his company. I just wish he would stick around longer."

"What, don't I make good company?" Navi snapped. Link laughed nervously, lifting his arms to defend himself against the gentle thrashing his fairy-friend was giving him. His lilting laughter floated upwards, reaching the ears of a trembling creature who whimpered as he held his bleeding hand.

Dark sought solace above Kakariko village, crumpled against the windmill and holding his gory hand tight. He watched the Hero stroll past him, biting his lip to hold back his cries. His left arm was shaking uncontrollably as his blood soaked into the grass. The Master Sword had seared away his flesh and the muscle of his palm had all been eaten away. The delicate tendons and bones in his hand were clearly visible. The pain of his loneliness was even greater than that of his wound, though. Having that little fairy to keep him company during his ordeal in the dungeon was … nice. He wasn't used to having someone to talk to.

Dark knew, though, that he couldn't dwell on his pain for very long. He pushed himself to his feet, wrapping his hand once again in the dirty bandage he'd used in the dungeon. "It's off to the desert, I suppose," he sighed, limping off after the Hero, several dozen paces behind.

---

What was it that kept the Shadow Imp following so closely in the Hero's tracks? Was it the strength and unwavering courage reflected in those deep blue eyes? Was it the shivers that ran down Dark's spine when that soothing voice, like the sound of a babbling brook, tickled his ears? Was it the warmth that radiated from every pore of the Hero's lively body? Was it the burning in Dark's loins, the haunting need to fall to his knees before the Hero and worship him like a god?

_No!_ He reprimanded himself, _I am following him to bring him to Ganondorf! Once my Master sees that I am a worthy minion, I will regain my rightful place at his side._

Still, although he repeated this to himself again and again, his determined mantra slowly faded, replaced by a silent ache within his body. His red eyes slightly dulled and he let his mind sink into stillness, allowing his subconscious to control his body. By now, the fifth limb between his legs had once again become engorged and now it growled for attention as it rubbed against his left thigh. Dark had learned to ignore the now common annoyance – he didn't exactly know how to take care of it in the first place.

The sun was sneaking up behind Dark as it rose, searing the earth around him and scorching his backside. He realized now why it was a bad idea to wear black all the time. His tongue lolled from his open mouth as he panted to cool off. A droplet of sweat trickled down between his brows and fell from the tip of his nose, hitting the dry ground and breaking into a hundred tiny droplets. The ground was so dry that each drop remained beaded on the arid soil until the sun evaporated them away again.

A large part of Dark's exhaustion was caused by the trail of blood he left behind. All across Hyrule Plain, he'd left a curving, zigzagging trail behind him as he followed in Epona's hoof prints. Unfortunately for Dark, Ganon's neglected creatures were ravenous. Once Dark had lost sight of Kakariko village, he could hear the Guay circling high above him. He didn't waste his energy yelling at them to leave. They were hoping that he'd expire and maybe they'd get a free meal.

Dark Link's steps became slow and plodding until they stopped altogether. He stood, panting heavily, looking out across the plain. The wind had kicked up and erased Epona's tracks from the ground. They were all covered in dust and now he wasn't certain which way to go. As he stood inwardly debating, he heard a twig snap behind him. He whirled around quickly, reaching for the hilt of his sword with his sore, bleeding hand.

A pack of wild Wolfos surrounded him in a half-circle. The animals were gaunt and ravenous, staring him down like he was a plump ham. Dark's ruby eyes widened as he realized that he was about to become their main course. His hand closed around his weapon but as he drew it, he yelped and let it fall to the ground. His hand was much too sore to hold a heavy sword. As the Wolfos saw him drop his only weapon, they jumped at the chance and closed in for the kill. The alpha dog, a great black beast, was the first to run forward and spring at him, claws unsheathed and jaws wide open. Dark yelled out, covering his face with his arms and backing away. He tripped over his own feet in his hasty retreat.

His butt hit the ground with a thud and he heard the strangled yelp of the injured Wolfo. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and looked up to the great shadow standing between him and certain death. Sheik stood protectively over him, his short throwing-knives ready and thirsty for blood. Dark scuttled away as the angry pack of dogs descended upon the Shiekah with bloodthirsty ferocity. The lithe warrior easily fended them off and in less than a minute, all that was left of the angry pack was a few clumps of bloody hair on the ground and a fleeing, yelping bunch of cowardly pups.

"And just where did you think you were going?" hissed Sheik, sheathing his knives. "It was foolhardy to travel while bleeding so heavily. No wonder those Wolfos caught up to you so quickly. Did you really want to…"

Sheik had turned around and now realized that Dark was really not in the best of shape. Deathly pale and sweating profusely, he stared at Sheik with unseeing eyes and an open mouth. Be it from fear or exhaustion or just hunger, Dark had passed out cold.

Sheik looked around to see if anyone or anything else was watching before he hoisted the fallen minion up over his shoulder. "I have no idea why I am doing this," he sighed, slowly trudging off in the direction of Lon-Lon Ranch.

---

Malon was surprised, if not horrified, to have Sheik stumble into the Ranch that afternoon with a strange man slung over his shoulder. Though she was unprepared for visitors – much less injured ones – Malon allowed the pair to have her bedroom for the night. Once finished with her chores, she played the role of the attentive nurse, bringing warm water and towels and fetching whatever herbs the Shiekah might require. The afternoon waned and the moon rose in the east, casting a somber blue light through the single open window. Malon lit a single candle on the bedside table to illuminate the room, giving Sheik just enough light to prepare his medicines.

The ranch girl sat near, entranced as she watched Sheik grind up several herbs and add some clean water to make a thick, dark paste. He smeared the concoction onto his own fingers and began massaging the potent ointment into his patient's wounded hand.

"Have you never been trained in the healing arts?" Sheik questioned without lifting his eyes.

"N-No," Malon shakily replied. She swallowed a lump of nausea rising in her throat as her eyes played over the gore of Dark's hand. "Whenever one of us gets sick, we have to travel to the potion shop in Kakariko for our medicines."

"Traveling across that beast-infested plain isn't the best idea. Here," Sheik said, passing the bowl toward Malon, "I can teach you what little I know. This is a special ointment used to promote fast healing and to prevent infection. Rub this gently into the wound and then bind it up tight with clean linen. I need to step outside for a moment," he said, rising from his seat and heading for the door.

Before Malon could question him, Sheik was gone. The ranch girl sighed, moving cautiously onto the bed and setting Dark's hand in her lap. Delicately she began applying Sheik's ointment, but she kept her eyes on the Shadow's peaceful face.

Malon had originally been startled by the patient's arrival, thinking immediately that it was really Link in Sheik's arms. But then she noticed the raven hair, the metal ornaments in his brow and lip, the earrings that made his long ears tilt slightly downward, the arching scars that traced his arms where Ganon had sewn him together, and lastly the inverted Triforce tattooed on his left shoulder. Sheik had hurriedly laid Dark in bed and covered him to the neck with blankets but not before Malon's suspicions had become aroused. She knew exactly what that tattoo implied.

Now that they were alone, Malon reached a trembling hand up Dark's left arm to his shoulder. She pressed the fluffy pillow out of the way to reveal the black Triforce on his arm. Her hands began to shake with fear. This was an evil incarnation of the Hero! Made by Ganondorf no less! But why was Sheik helping this evil little imp? He was probably out to kill Link and find Princess Zelda! Keeping him alive could spell the fate of the entire country!

As the spirit of patriotism welled within her, Malon rose from the bed, letting Dark's hand fall listless at his side. She strode quickly to the bedroom door and locked it tightly from the inside. She wanted to commit her holy act in peace. In her dresser drawers she rooted around, searching desperately for a weapon.

There was a strong knock at the door. "Malon?" Sheik gruffly called. "The door is locked, please open it."

"Just a minute!" she breathlessly whispered, feeling bloodlust rise within her. Her fingers closed around the ivory-handled blade her father had given her when she was only eight years old. "_If someone comes toward the wagon while I'm making a delivery,_" he'd said, "_and they try to steal some of our milk, you let 'em have it, Malon! Understand?_" Ever since then, she kept the knife in her drawer when they weren't on deliveries.

The impatient Shiekah tapped on the door again. "Malon!" he called, "I have an armful of things here, could you hurry?"

"In a second," she whispered, barely audible. She withdrew the knife from its leather sheath, examining the blade. The knife was more of a visual threat to thieves than a true weapon, as the blade was long-since dulled and rusted in many places. This didn't phase Malon, though. She could use brute force to kill the evil minion.

She slowly walked across the bedroom with the sound of Sheik's impatient knocks growing louder in the background. _I wonder if you realize who this is,_ Malon thought, _or what you're even doing with him_.

Sheik sensed that something was amiss and began frantically calling, "Malon, open up this instant!" His knocks became pounding and Malon heard him drop what he'd been carrying. "Malon?"

She paid no attention to him. Her victim, still out cold, lay helpless and vulnerable in her bed. This was her only chance.

Her shadow fell over Dark Link's face and she lifted the blade up over her shoulder.

"**Malon!**"

---

Her heart pounding in her chest and her wings tiring quickly, Navi ignored her fatigue and pressed on. Intuition told her to head to Lon-Lon Ranch; she knew she'd find him there. But why was she seeking _him_, of all people? Link was in trouble; she should be finding Sheik for help! But something told her that Dark Link needed help, too. She hurried onward toward the ranch.

Floating over the open yard crowded with sleeping horses, Navi went directly to the ranch house. It was a gorgeous evening so all of the windows were open. She easily found her way into the main bedroom, following the sound of frantic banging and Sheik's angry cries. As she alighted on the windowsill, Navi rested her tired wings and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the bedroom. When they did, she gasped in horror.

"Dark Link!" she shrieked, "Wake up!"

Sheik's incessant banging had no effect on him. Malon's haggard breathing had no effect on him. Her shadow falling over his body had no effect on him. But when he heard Navi's voice, Dark's eyes snapped open. As Malon brought her knife down toward his chest, his left arm shot out to grab her by the wrist. Dark cried out in pain as she put crushing pressure on his open wound. Malon fell atop him and the two rolled around on the bed, the ranch girl trying desperately to stab him and the evil minion trying desperately to fend her off.

As the two fell off of the mattress, Malon gained the top position. She straddled Dark's waist, her blade mere inches from his face. He would have been fighting back with more strength if he wasn't so exhausted from his ordeals. His arms trembled as Malon struggled to stab him. "Dark!" Navi squeaked, now taking to the air again. She flew over and got right in Malon's face, blinding her with blue light. The girl cried out, dropping her knife and reaching up to rub the spots from her eyes. Dark took advantage of her weakness and grabbed her about the waist. Frantically, he threw her off of him and against the wall. Her head hit the wood with a dull smack and she fell limp against the floor, a tiny trickle of blood flowing away from her head.

"Dark, are you alright?" Navi questioned, flitting close to him.

His eyes were wide and his breathing was haggard. He struggled to sit up, holding his chest to keep his heart from pounding out through his ribs. "I-I'm fine," he stammered, slowly standing up. He began cautiously checking himself over.

"Dark, there's no time! We need to get going!" Navi flew close, captivating him with her bright blue light. "Link is in trouble, we need to rescue him! Quickly, get your things and let's go!"

Sheik, horrified by the sounds he was hearing beyond the door, started ramming his shoulder into it. "Malon! Open up!" he yelled. Finally, after one hearty shove, the door gave in and swung wide open, sending the Shiekah tumbling in.

First, he noticed the disheveled bed, then the ranch girl lying unconscious and bleeding on the bedroom floor. Then, a soft rustle drew Sheik's eyes to the window. There was the Shadow Imp, crouched down and ready to jump out, but he momentarily turned back to face the Shiekah. His ruby eyes were wide and bright in the moonlight. Sheik unmistakably sensed excitement and fear in those eyes. He began to reach out toward Dark to keep him back but in the next instant, he was gone.

Sheik ran to the window in time to see Dark mount one of the horses. The pair rode toward the edge of the ranch and, just as Link had once with Epona, they jumped the fence. They were gone before Sheik could even cry out.

He turned back to the disheveled room where Dark had apparently just attached Malon. _I guess we'll have to put off our healing lesson for another day,_ he mused to himself.


	5. The Sacrifice

Yaaay I finished the chapter! I actually wrote it a month ago but never found the desire to edit/add to it. So now, at 2:00 AM, it is finished! I'm kinda pleased with this chapter but I feel like it's all coming to and end so soon…

A gracious thankyou to my few reviewers.

At I appreciate the nitpicks but it's nice to hear good comments too! I'm not particularly concerned with my syntax of made-up words but yours was an interesting tidbit of information nonetheless.

ChibiPandaChan: I can take or leave Sheik depending on the day, but in this fic I personally made him out to be a bad-ish guy.

At AdultFanFiction:

Dip: While it might take me a while to update, updates WILL come! And they'll be nice and long too; this one's ten pages!

YaoiRoxMeSox: While I COMPLETELY AGREE with your stance on yaoi, I'm not sure how the relationships will pan out here. I'm almost nervous for the characters… but I hope I don't disappoint!

As for the rest of you! 2,800 hits and 37 reviews? You guys are some laaazy readers! Seriously, it took me one month to actually write this chapter, do you think you could take about a minute and thirty seconds to write me a review? It would be much appreciated…

And, for my last announcement. Attention fans of **Nightmare** I'm actually going to continue it, probably because I am a glutton for punishment. Give me a few weeks to crank out a new chapter. For those of you who don't know what it is, the URL is http/games. Don't take it too seriously, people. It's a mockery.

CHAPTER FIIIVE

---

Navi flew as quickly as her wings would carry her. She ignored the rapid beating of her heart and the exhausted ache in her wings and pressed onward, leading Dark Link deep into the heart of the Gerudo desert.

The sun had just recently set on this westernmost region of Hyrule territory and the air was still oppressively hot. Sweat trickled down Dark's face as he rode, digging his heels into his horse's sides. The stallion raced on, feeling his rider's urgency, and blindly galloped toward the yawning canyon that opened before them. With one mighty leap, the beast carried him and his rider clear to the other side, landing safely with all four hooves on solid ground. Here Dark brought him to a halt near a fire-lit tent where a young bearded man stood watch outside. The two exchanged wary glances before the stranger seemed to recognize Dark.

He raised a hand in friendship. "You can leave your horse with me," he spoke to Dark. "It would be impossible to sneak around with that beast, and if the Gerudo find you…." His voice trailed off and he visibly shuddered. Dark's heart sank.

"This way!" Navi called, already heading deeper into the desert, "Hurry!"

Dark followed his fairy friend down a long stone corridor and up a grand staircase that opened onto the Gerudo fortress. Normally patrolled by a legion of desert women, the place was absolutely vacant. There was no sign of life in any direction.

Navi was overcome by weakness and she began to fall from the sky, but Dark's gentle hands were there to catch her. He held her up to his face, smiling softly down at her, his panting breaths rolling over her skin. She now realized why she'd chosen to find him instead of Sheik. This was her friend. Although he looked tough and menacing on the outside, Dark was really a sweet and vulnerable person. He and Navi were kindred spirits, both caught up in someone else's destiny. They understood each other better because of their weaknesses in the face of something so great. Navi felt like she could be herself with Dark-that if she was weak, he would be there to catch her.

"Where is he?" Dark whispered. He could almost feel his adrenaline pumping.

"Up there," Navi said, pointing to the east side of the fortress. There was another long, wide path that lead up far beyond the fortress to what should be the Gerudo training grounds.

Tonight, however, it was the site of something far more sinister.

Dark raced up the corridor, slowing as he heard female voices in the distance. He put Navi on his shoulder for safekeeping and pressed himself against the stone wall, creeping up toward the stone canyon. Rising above the female voices, he could hear Link's strained cries. He swallowed a lump of nervousness as, slowly, Dark poked his head around the corner and beheld the harrowing sight before him.

The entire Gerudo tribe of desert women congregated in the far corner of the training grounds, surrounding two blazing fires and one helpless Hero. Link was tied to a large wooden pole that was leaning back at a forty-five degree angle. He was wrapped around the pole so that his torso was in the front but his wrists and ankles were bound behind him. He had been stripped of all his clothes and Dark could see that Link was suffering from the same problem that so often plagued the dark minion! There was a stiff and swollen appendage that rose up from between his legs and it seemed to be captivating his female captors. Dark's eyes excitedly danced over the Hero's muscular body. It must have been hot lying between those two fires because his skin glistened with sweat. His blonde hair was matted to his forehead in places and he was breathing heavily, nervously eyeing the excited females that danced around him.

Dark was startled to see that the women were mostly naked, as well. They looked like nothing he'd ever seen and that just served to excite his extra appendage even further. Each dark desert woman had her red hair done up on her head and adorned with many jewels. They wore thick gold necklaces that lay heavily around their necks and matching belts about their waists, to which were attached gossamer white skirts. Other than that, they wore nothing. Their breasts were bare and Dark was captivated by their movements.

One of the women, presumably their leader, came out of the dancing crowd and stood before the hero, holding her arms out to the sides. She was costumed different than the others. She was completely nude, her body oiled and glistening. Her hair was braided and adorned with various jewels, and bangles on her wrists and ankles tinkled as she walked. The chanting, singing women stopped and directed their attentions to her, excitedly awaiting her announcement.

"Women of the desert!" she spoke in a stern, commanding voice. "The great Hero has graced us with his presence on this hallowed night! Din be praised! In an effort to continue the noble Gerudo bloodline, let us commence the ceremony!"

"No!" Link cried out, but his voice was drowned out by the cries of a hundred jubilant women.

"What kind of ceremony are they talking about?" Dark asked, keeping his eyes on the dancing crowd.

"I'm not sure," Navi said, "but Link wanted nothing to do with it! He has to hurry on to the Spirit Temple and awaken the last sage!"

"Navi, look!" Dark gasped, watching as one of the Gerudo women advanced upon the bound Hero. Horror filled Link's eyes as the woman mounted him, forcefully took hold of his penis and began lowering herself down upon it. Dark watched, captivated, as Link tilted his head back, tightly shutting his eyes, and emitted a strained cry from his throat.

"Oh gods," Navi gasped, "they're…"

"They're killing him!" Dark cried. Navi looked at him like he was insane. But, no, Dark remembered when he had made the same thrusting movements against the Hero when they were fighting in the Water Temple. He remembered the way Link thrashed around beneath his body, the horrified cries he had made, and recognized them immediately now.

The Gerudo warrior pressed herself against the Hero's body, crying out with lust, as Link gritted his teeth. This experience should logically be wholly satisfying. Unfortunately, the Gerudo were a strong and ruthless race. His lover was crushing him beneath her hard body, thrusting so hard he feared his hipbones might shatter. As he felt the inevitable orgasm nearing, he opened his mouth to cry out again, only to be silenced by a forceful, biting kiss. As his first forced orgasm began, the crowd let up a cry. His first partner dismounted him, quickly replaced by a larger and hungrier one. This second woman ravaged him with a new gusto, slamming his rear against the wooden stake. She pressed her lips against his, smothering him with her mouth, and his leg muscles tightened as he finished his orgasm inside her. Quickly it was on to the next woman. Obviously, they had no concern for his refractory period, but they were aware of it. His new partner held his face still while two other women hefted a large earthenware bowl. They poured an orange liquid into his open mouth, causing him to cough and sputter, but he was hard again in seconds. It was a potent aphrodisiac, much to his dismay. Whether he liked it or not, the onslaught continued.

"They're all going to smother him!" Dark whimpered, starting to tremble. He knew that he very well couldn't fight off all of them; there were more than a hundred strong women here! His efforts would be in vain. He knew there was only one option available at this point.

He only hoped he could survive it.

"**Stop**!"

The entire crowd of women, even the woman atop Link, turned toward the entrance to the training grounds. There stood his twin, Dark Link, his arms stretched out to either side and a scowl written across his face. He carried no weapon to avoid being attacked immediately. The entire cavern was silent, save the echo of Dark's stern cry and the exhausted sighs of the captive Hero.

"What is the meaning of this?" shouted the leader of the Gerudo, making her way through the crowd toward Dark Link, her metal bangles jingling.

"Please, don't do this!" Dark begged her, standing his ground as she closed in on him. "Please, this is the Hero of Time! According to legend, he has a very important task to fulfill! You must let him go."

"We are in the middle of our yearly mating ceremony, boy," she hissed at him. "You dare to interrupt us? The desert goddess will not be pleased!"

"You can't do this to Link," he pleaded, falling to his knees before the warrior woman. He bowed his head, tightly closing his eyes. "He has a destiny to fulfill. His life is more important than mine." Trembling, he threw his head back to look up to her again. "If you must have a man tonight then take me instead! Spare the Hero of Time!"

Link stared, bewilderment written across his tired face. What in the name of Farore was Dark Link doing? He craned his neck to watch as the Gerudo leader grabbed the dark twin by the throat, lifting him to his feet. She held out her hand and the nearest woman handed her a curved dagger. She used the blade to slit off his clothes, looking him over like a fresh piece of meat, just as they had Link. She examined him thoroughly, feeling him in sensitive places, squeezing him, making him yelp in pain. Finally, she took him by the dark hair and turned to present him to the crowd of horny women. She thrust him in their direction, making him stumble, and he hung limply in her grip. They let up a joyous yell, pleased that Dark's physique was identical to that of the Hero, right down to the most _important_ part. The woman atop Link turned back to him now, giving one final thrust that elicited a cry of pain from him. She dismounted him and two women behind him cut him down from his bonds. He slumped to the ground, his body too sore to let him move, but he kept his head up, watching as Dark Link was paraded over to take his place.

The two men locked eyes and a deep connection took place. Link was captivated by his dark twin, mesmerized by the strange change that was taking place. Dark seemed to be a whole new man. No longer was he the slinking, sneaking underling of the Evil King. He walked proudly, standing tall, and a look of determination was etched into his face. Although he was poked and pushed along by the angry Gerudo, he kept his eyes on the Hero. Two women lifted Link up and began dragging him away but still he kept his eyes on Dark, realizing now that this wasn't an evil man at all. Dark was on the Hero's side. He'd made his own decision.

The women began pulling Dark down onto the tree now, pinching and kissing and licking him in strange places. He felt their nails and their teeth in his skin and he cried out in pain, but not in fear. He knew that this was a noble cause. The crowd closed around him, separating him from Link's view, and the Hero was unceremoniously tossed at the entrance of the Training Grounds.

"Link!" Navi squeaked, flitting over to her master's side. He pushed himself up, groaning at the soreness in his hips. "Link, are you alright?"

"Navi," he whispered, breathlessly, "what just happened?"

"Dark saved you," she whispered, pulling the torn black tunic to Link so that he could put it on. "Come on, let's get out of here before those crazed women change their mind."

"No!" Link said, pulling on Dark's leggings and standing up, although wobbly. "Navi, we have to help him!"

The fairy grabbed Link's ear, pulling him back. "No, Link!" she cried, "If you turn back now then Dark's sacrifice will be in vain. You need to go on to the Spirit Temple and he knows that. We have to leave now."

Link stood, watching the scene for several minutes, listening to Dark's terrified and pained cries. Eventually he abided Navi's nagging and turned, heading on down the stone corridor, back to the fortress.

Dark's strained wails followed him all the way to the Haunted Wasteland.

---

Surrounded by these women, Dark suddenly began to feel afraid. They had no rope to hold him down with and so two women knelt behind him, holding his ankles and his wrists fast. Their iron grip bruised his pale flesh. The first of his many partners approached him, easily sliding onto his body, and he suddenly became aware that he had no idea what he was in for.

"W-Wait," he stammered, wincing as the Gerudo took him by the face, "maybe this isn't such a good-"

He was cut short by her forceful kiss and he felt her take hold of his swollen penis. Her grip was rough on his sensitive part and he gave a strangled cry of pain. She hurriedly pressed his penis inside of her body and, for an instant, Dark's world came to a crashing halt. Suddenly, the problem that had been plaguing him for weeks now didn't seem like much of a problem at all. Suddenly, he realized how to fix his erections. It all became startlingly clear.

He relaxed against his bonds with a pleased sigh, closing his eyes and smiling broadly. He was ready for this ride.

The first woman was not too rough on him. He savored the feeling of his hard penis enveloped by her warm, wet body. His orgasm came quickly and he arched himself into her, ejaculating deep into her body. The woman cried out with pleasure and fell off of him, quickly replaced by another.

The second woman was rougher with him than the first had been and he strained to orgasm under pressure. Sweat trickled down his skin as he tilted his head back, growling with frustration. She thrust him hard and he knew that his strong metal hipbones wouldn't break under pressure, but it hurt just the same. After he had a second ejaculation, they brought over the large bowl and poured aphrodisiac into his mouth, causing him to cough and choke. His erection was renewed, though, and the women continued to assault him with gusto.

As the women continued to come and the aphrodisiac continued to flow, Dark went into a trance. Drunk with pleasure and effectively drugged, he slipped into a drunken-like state for the duration of the night. The pleasure and pain all became a blur as his conscious mind retired to the very core of his being. He would remember very little the next day.

Should he survive, that is.

---

Link trudged up the hill toward the Gerudo Training Grounds just as the noontime sun seared down upon him. He shielded his eyes with the new silver gauntlets, hefting the heavier Mirror Shield on his back. He headed up to the site of the horrible orgy, afraid of what he would find but knowing that he had to go look.

He owed Dark that much.

As he neared the top of the hill he saw dark bodies laid out all over the sands. All of the women were basking in the heat of the sun, napping after their exciting night, none of them even noticing the Hero's presence. It seemed like they were all dead.

"Link, look," Navi whispered, drawing his attention to the far end of the arena. There, between two smoldering bonfires, were the only two people who were awake. One was the last Gerudo, the leader of the tribe, still relentlessly riding their tired captive. The other was Dark Link, whose weary moans rose from the sand where he lay, exhausted and helpless.

"Don't hold out on me," she hissed, not the least bit tired. She grabbed his matted dark hair, pulling as she thrust herself against his hips. "Don't hold back! I am destined to bear the next male of the Gerudo tribe! I cannot _do that_, however, without your seed!"

The orange aphrodisiac dribbled from the corners of Dark's mouth and he groaned each time her hips thrust against him. He was covered with scratches, bites and hickeys, and his hips and thighs were bruised. They no longer held him bound, as he didn't have the energy to fight back, and he was so emptied that he couldn't bring himself to ejaculate.

Frustrated, the Gerudo leader drew her knife and held it against his tender testicles. "If you don't give me what I seek," she hissed, "then I'll just take it from you!" Dark wearily groaned, closing his eyes and waiting for the inevitable slice.

With a heavy thud, the Gerudo leader hit the sand, completely unconscious. Link stood over his dark twin, bruised and bloodied as he was, with shock in his bright eyes.

"Dark…"

The minion answered him with a choking cough, trying to get out some final words, but Link knelt next to him, hushing him with a finger to his lips. The Hero of Time hoisted his dark twin, holding him in his arms like a child. Dark Link's head lolled back on his shoulders and he finally relaxed, feeling safe in the Hero's arms. Link carried him through the sea of sleeping women, down the long stone corridor to their fortress, and out toward Hyrule Plain.

---

Dark Link was exhausted. When he regained consciousness, he couldn't even bring himself to open his eyes. He lay in his bed, his eyes closed but his other senses very aware of his surroundings. He felt surrounded by warmth and softness, obviously in someone's bed. He could smell a familiar stew on the crackling fire and hear three sets of feet shuffling around. He could also hear someone softly breathing next to his ear; Navi the fairy, who was watchful for signs of his consciousness.

"Link, we need to get going," hissed a stern male voice. The Shiekah. "Now that you've awakened all the sages, it's time to battle Ganondorf and save Hyrule."

"Not yet," spoke the Hero. He was closer than Dark thought, actually right at his bedside. "Not until he is better."

"Why are you wasting your time with this pathetic creature? We are losing precious days while he lays here, sleeping!"

"Sheik!" Link barked, much louder than he intended. The rest of his sentence came as a hushed hiss. "Hyrule has been like this for seven years; I don't think seven more days will change much of anything. Dark Link took my place at the hands of the Gerudo. Navi was right; he _is_ a good person." Link turned now to his dark twin, looking upon him with soft kindness in his eyes. "I've been running around doing Hyrule's work for several moons now. Let me take a few days to do something important to _me_."

Dark winced as he felt a cool cloth touch his cheek, promptly followed by stinging. "Ooh dear," crooned a sweet, familiar voice, "it seems we've woken him up."

"Uula?" Dark opened his eyes but his vision was very fuzzy.

"Yes, child, I'm here," she said. He felt the mattress sink as she sat down on it and began stroking his raven hair. "Are you okay, dear? Tell us, what hurts?"

"I-I'm alright," he stammered. "Uula, tell me… are the monsters gone?"

The older woman smiled. "Not quite, child, but they will be. As soon as your friends here head to that evil tower, the monsters will all be gone."

"Then we have to go." He began to sit up but his abdomen immediately came to life with an intense, uncontrollable burning. He yipped in pain, falling back against the pillows in disappointment. He was in no condition to fight!

"Easy, easy," crooned a soft male voice. Dark looked up and froze, seeing the Hero leaning over him. Link's soft blue eyes betrayed both his sadness and his immense admiration, and his smile made all the pain fade away. A reddening blush spread across Dark's cheeks as he beheld the handsome Hero, who had shed his green tunic for a softer cotton shirt and brown pants. "Don't try to get up, you're still hurt," Link reassured him. "Just relax."

The minion snuggled back down into his sheets, nestled closely between Link and Uula, Navi at his ear. He scowled darkly as the reality of his condition fully dawned on him. "Link," Dark spoke, "after all of our trials, we're so close to victory. There's no time to lose. You should…" His voice trailed off as a pang of sadness pierced his heart. "Link, you should go on without me."

"Not a chance," spoke the Hero, much to his twin's secret relief. "I doubted you in the past but I won't make the same mistake twice. I want you by my side during the fight against Ganon." When Dark opened his mouth to protest, Link touched his calloused finger to his pale lips. "I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Dark felt his insides melt as Link smiled down at him. If his body wasn't so abused and so weak, he was sure he would have an embarrassing erection right now, and he was quite glad that he didn't.

"Fine," he softly replied, "then I'll get better as quickly as I can."

"Well if you're going to get better you'll need lots of my special stew!" Uula sat with a large wooden bowl settled in her lap. She stirred the piping hot stew and spooned a generous helping into Dark's mouth. Tears welled in his eyes as the flesh on his tongue melted away, but he swallowed quickly and smiled up to the kind woman.

Sheik, who'd been scowling near the door, now scoffed at the ridiculous display. All this fawning and babying was going to make him ill. He silently turned and slipped out the door, closing it gently behind him. The night air was cool on his skin and he reached up to pull down his mask a bit. It was nice to get fresh air in his lungs and he breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He couldn't stand it anymore, the oppression of Ganondorf, the sad state of the country. He wanted it to end as soon as possible, but Link insisted on waiting for Dark. A pang of jealousy stabbed his heart.

_Dark Link, that damned scourge…_

"Sheik?" Link's voice startled the Shiekah, who turned too quickly. His hand retreated to his mask and pulled it up over his face, but not before the Hero noticed. "Sheik," Link spoke again, unaffected, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the warrior stammered, turning away now and putting his back to the Hero. Link tilted his head slightly. "It was just a little hot in there, I needed some air."

Link curiously passed his eyes over the Shiekah while his back was turned. The one thing that puzzled Link about this man was his shape. While his shoulders were broad, they seemed artificial. Sheik was heavily padded with armor and it was becoming quite obvious. His waist was deceptively thin and his hips were wider than any man's he'd seen. Link wouldn't allow his eyes to travel any further, though, out of modesty. He focused his gaze on the sky to avert an awkward situation.

"Link," Sheik spoke, his words rushed, "I have to ask you something. Do you have… feelings for this creature?"

"He's not a creature," Link immediately snapped, becoming frustrated with Sheik's disrespect. "Dark is a … he's a person just like you and I. Stop referring to him like he's some animal."

"But he is!" Sheik retorted, turning again toward the Hero, his crimson eyes burning into his soul. "He is Ganondorf's prized _dog_, Link. He was created to destroy you. Keeping him around is dangerous; you could be putting your own life in jeopardy. But that's not the point!" Sheik threw his hands up in frustration and took a step closer to the Hero, keeping their eyes locked to draw his focus. "Link, do you have _feelings_ for Dark Link?"

Link stopped, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape. His expression was stunned for a moment, but the shock quickly turned to anger as he opened his mouth.

"**How could you even _ask _me something like that?**"

The heated tone took Sheik off guard who, for a moment, betrayed his true gender with a hurt expression. Link took no notice and instead continued his tirade.

"There is a man laying in there who just crawled back from death's door because of me," he spat, throwing his arm back toward the house. "He took my place at the hands of those sex-crazed desert women, women who probably would have killed me if he wasn't there to help! Dark was made much stronger than I am. He can take harsh beatings and survive, but even they almost killed him!" Link shook with anger, bringing his fists down to his sides to keep from hitting the smaller man. "I owe him – no, we _all_ owe him our _lives_ because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be standing here right now," he growled. "And if I had died, you would _all_ be screwed!"

Sheik was in total shock. He'd never heard Link speak like that to anyone, and his rage completely took the shadow warrior off guard. But he stood his ground. His voice wavered just slightly as he softly repeated, "Link… do you have feelings for Dark Link?"

The Hero sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He still refused to answer the question. "_Why_ do you keep _asking_ me that?" he huffed.

"Because!" Sheik cried, his voice suddenly rising shrilly, taking on a feminine tone. "Because I see the way you look at him, Link! I see that benevolence and kindness and admiration in your eyes, and I hate it!" Sheik took a few steps forward, but the irritated Hero did not back away. "I envy the love you have for him; it's all I've ever wanted from you!"

"Sheik," Link whispered, trying to keep himself calm, "what are you…"

"Oh Link!" she cried, reaching up to her face. She pulled down the mask with one hand and tore the bandages from her hair with the other. Golden locks poured down over her shoulders, framing her unmistakably feminine face. She opened her tormented eyes, the red irises replaced with crystal blues, which were now leaking tears. The Hero stumbled back, choking out a surprised, almost stupefied exclamation.

"Princess Zelda!"

"Link!" she cried, hiding her face self-consciously in her hands. She was shaking as she spoke. "Link I wanted to tell you but I couldn't! I've been with you this whole time, and it's been absolute torture to be so close to you and still so far!" The bewildered Hero, simultaneously overjoyed and overly confused, came forward and took the sobbing princess in his arms. He struggled to fight down all the emotions welling within him and buried his face in her soft hair as he held her to his chest.

"Zelda," he breathed. "I'm relieved to know that you're safe, my Princess."

After savoring his touch for but a moment, she pulled back from him, lifting her smiling face to meet his. "I've been with you the whole time," she whispered. The wind began to kick up, swirling her hair around her face. "I've waited for you for seven long years, watching my country decay more each day. I've been by your side through your entire ordeal and I intend to follow you to Ganon's Tower…"

Her voice was drowned out by the howling wind that had suddenly kicked up. Link pulled her close again, protectively clutching her to his chest as the dust swirled around them. He shut his eyes tightly, holding his dear princess close, as the pair fell under the shadow of some great, hulking beast.

The windowpanes of Uula's cottage rattled in the wind and Dark's crimson eyes snapped open. He instinctively shot up without struggle, his mouth agape in horror, one whispered name passing his trembling lips.

"_Ganondorf!_"


	6. The Gift

Chapter 6 basically wrote itself in a grand total of two days after I uploaded 5. I just suddenly knew exactly where I was going and… I went. The few encouraging reviews I received – although _few_ – were a big help in the creative process, too. I feel so encouraged. Thank you to those who found time to review!

At You've got your wish! The latest chapter, out as soon as I can muster! Now that I quit my crappy-ass supermarket job I can devote more time to my craft… And no, I didn't miss Zelda much either. She's not my favorite.

**Xena Minotaur Girl:** First of all, that is one kick-ass name. Second of all, I'm not really fond of fics that make Sheik his own person. While it opens up for possibilities with his character… it's non-canonical. (But how hypocritical of myself to call them non-canonical, when look what I did with Dark, right? Well let's look at it this way, at least I remained true to his origins and to where he first appears in the OoT universe.) Thirdly, thank you for your appreciation of my love of adjectives. I, like you, also enjoy seeing the boys get beat up a little. Trust me, you'll REALLY like this chapter, in that case. Lastly, your review was nicely written and I really appreciate all the time you put into it. It's great to get lengthy feedback from readers!

At Kiune: I know we've already spoken after I reviewed your story, but I wanted to thank you again for your review. The plot is getting twistier here and Dark's change is far from complete. Just as you're awaiting a new chapter, I'm awaiting another great review! Thanks for reading!

**Shadow:** Please, if you're going to take time to review the story, make it worth my time to read it.

That having been said, I reiterate: I've had around 3,000 hits on this story and 41 reviews total. If you're not one of the 80 of America who is obese, or even if you are, then burn some calories. Click review, type some words, press enter. NOT AS HARD AS WRITING THESE TEN PAGES, THAT'S FOR SHURE.

This first sentence might make your brain explode.

---

The wooden door of Uula's cottage was flung open and there in the doorway he stood. Dark Link looked horrible. His torso was wrapped up in bandages, his borrowed pants were a little too short for his lean legs, and his entire body had been bruised and abused by the ferocious Gerudo women. The violent wind tore at him, ruffling his black bangs and whipping his pants against his legs. He bent over slightly in the doorway, clutching his aching abdomen, but he kept his eyes on the sky.

Navi clung to his ear for dear life as her little body was blown about by the gale. She couldn't keep her eyes open, but the terrified little fairy sensed what was out there.

"Dark!" she cried. "It's him!"

Dark swallowed hard, putting on the most menacing expression he could muster. A hulking shadow stood before him, completely black save his glinting yellow eyes. The dust storm that had been concealing his body settled and Dark, for the first time in what felt like ages, beheld Ganondorf. The Triforce of Power gleamed brightly in his right fist. He was gigantic in size, towering above even the highest rooftop in the village. He was bedecked in his finest armor and jewels, always nicely polished when he graced the commoners with his presence. His grin was more like a snarl as he loomed over the cowering forms of Link and … Princess Zelda?

Link was the first to open his eyes, lifting his head and looking at Dark, confused. His back was to Ganondorf and he was unaware of his presence, instead distracted by the appearance of his bedridden twin. Dark's mouth was agape, his body trembling slightly as he beheld his beloved Master. To him, Ganondorf was breathtakingly beautiful, albeit terrifying. He couldn't bring himself to move, captivated so by his father's enormous power. Link was puzzled by Dark's odd behavior.

It was Navi who had to pipe up, apparently.

"Link!" she yelled. "Behind you!"

Zelda then lifted her head, looking up toward the beastly king, and she let out a shrill scream. With one great, sweeping motion, Ganondorf scooped up Link in his left hand and Zelda in his right, holding them high above the ground. Once he had them in his grasp he gave them a tight squeeze, asserting his dominance and causing them both to struggle and scream. His great laugh rumbled the village, causing the windowpanes to rattle.

"Finally, the two missing pieces of the Triforce!" he roared. "At last, my work is nearing fruition!" He turned his malicious gaze down to Dark who still stood, frozen and trembling, in the doorway. "I knew that if I let you wander around long enough, you would help me locate the Triforce. I did not, however, foresee your traitorous behavior." He closed his glowing yellow eyes as the desert sands began swirling around him again, enveloping both him and the squirming Princess and Hero. "No matter," scoffed the mighty King, "I will deal with you after my dark fantasies become your grim reality."

"_Daaaark_!" Link called out, fighting valiantly for his freedom. Ganondorf, annoyed by his struggle, tightened his iron grip. The Hero cried out as he felt his bones bending within him. He was grasping something in his left hand and with a mighty effort, he flung it away from himself, just as the thickening cloud of sand obscured him from Dark's sight.

"Link!" his dark twin cried, shielding his eyes as the storm reached its peak. He gripped the doorway with his other hand to brace himself against the gale. As the sands began to settle, he cautiously loped out into the center of the village, staring in disbelief at where Ganondorf's mighty footprints left giant indentations in the ground.

When all the winds had finally calmed, he heard a soft 'plink' on the ground in front of him.

"Dark, look!" Navi whispered, incredulous.

His crimson gaze fell to the earth where, just a few feet in front of him, lay a precious golden triangle smaller than the size of his palm. He bent down, despite his pain, and took it in his left hand, brushing away some dirt.

"Navi," he whispered, "this is—"

"It's the Triforce of Courage!" Navi spoke, wide-eyed. "Link must have somehow extracted it from his body and left it for you. Now Ganondorf doesn't have the entire Triforce. There's still hope for Hyrule!"

Dark fell to his knees under the burden of such awesome responsibility, staring with disbelief at the Triforce in his hand. Presently, he began to notice that it hurt to hold the holy relic. He hissed, dropping it hastily and nursing new wounds; the Triforce left three burning holes in his palm.

"I can't touch it, Navi," he whispered, disappointed in himself. "I'm…still an evil creation. I'm still a monster."

"That's not true," crooned Navi, but her comforting was abruptly interrupted. The Triforce began to glow with a white-hot light. It caused Dark to hiss and stumble back, shielding his eyes with his arm. For an instant, he felt immense pain, as though his left arm was being torn from his body…and in the next instant, the light had faded and it was over.

He heard hurried footsteps behind him. Uula came rushing from her cottage, a worried expression on her face. "Dark, are you alright?"

Dark opened his mouth to answer her but a shrill, pained cry escaped his lips instead. He suddenly winced, gripping his left hand as pain began to spread up his arm. His entire body tensed up as he growled slightly, biting his lip. Uula rushed to his side, laying her hands on his back, and he took comfort in her caring touch. Gradually the pain subsided, but still a dull ache remained in his hand. "I-I'm okay, Uula," he began, but he choked on the breath he had begun to draw.

"Dark, what is it?" Uula asked, cautiously withdrawing. His face was frozen in shock and she followed his gaze.

There, embedded in his left hand, was the gleaming mark of the Triforce.

---

Zelda awoke facedown against cold steel, a bed truly unfitting for a princess. Her entire body felt sore after being squeezed so tightly by the giant King. She groaned as she lifted herself up, holding her ribs protectively.

A loud bang against the side of her enclosure made her spring to her feet with a yelp, reaching for her throwing knives. She found none, however; the princess had been completely stripped of her Sheikah weapons. Grinning at her with gleaming eyes, a menacing Stalfos leered down at her.

"Well well," he rumbled, "looks like th' Princess 'as finally awoken."

A sneering Lizalfos popped up on the other wall of the cage, making her scream with fright.

"'Ave you awakened to entertain our King?" he chuckled. "Yo' presence has been r'quested in the court immediately!"

"Leave her alone!" barked a stern voice from across the dungeon. The two Stalfos turned, growling, and Zelda looked beyond them to see Link. The Hero was chained to the opposite wall by his wrists and his neck, stripped of his weaponry and items, even his gauntlets. It was obvious that he'd recently taken a beating, as his hair was ruffled, his exposed skin bruised in places including a black eye, and his lower lip cut and bleeding. Despite this, he still defended his beloved Princess with his life.

"'Aven't you learned your lesson?" snarled the Lizalfos as he advanced upon the Hero. With one swift movement, the lizard turned around and whipped his tail into Link's abdomen. Link couldn't double forward, chained as he was, and instead he coughed violently, spraying fresh blood onto the floor in front of him.

"Enough!" commanded the Stalfos, taking firm hold of the cage bars. The cage itself was on wheels, making it easier to transport. He began pushing it toward the dungeon door. "Let's get 'em to th' King, as our lovely guest here is awake. You 'andle the Hero."

"Gladly," sneered the Lizalfos. He unlocked Link's chains, hooking a thick metal leash to the manacle around his neck. His ankles were chained together loosely enough that he could walk, but firmly enough so that he couldn't attack his captors. As they hurried through the iron door, the Lizalfos pulled Link close and leered down at him like a hungry predator. When Link sneered, the lizard leaned down and flicked his forked tongue into Link's ear, making him growl in protest. The hallway was pitch black and the floor was uneven in places. At one point, Link tripped and fell flat on his face, causing the Lizalfos to cackle.

"Get up, y' clumsy fool!" he roared, kicking Link hard in the side. Zelda screamed, hiding her eyes, but Link's agonized grunting made her heart bleed.

After a long and winding journey up through the tower, they arrived in Ganondorf's main chamber. The hall was noisy, filled on either side with the unruly members of Ganon's dark army. The Poes cackled at Zelda as she passed, waving with their lanterns, and the ReDeads shrieked at Link, making him violently shudder. Zelda's steel coach was wheeled to a halt and Link was brought up next to it. The Lizalfos shoved him to his knees, reveling in his moment of power. The dark king sat before them on a plush red velvet chair, sneering down at his guests. He straightened from his reclining position, waving his hand to silence the cacophony in the throne room.

"Welcome to my castle," he rumbled, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "I hope your short stay will be…pleasant." His menacing wish caused his minions to snicker amongst themselves.

"Ganondorf," Link snarled, "by the goddesses I swear, your reign of terror is coming to an end!" Clearly amused, the King let forth his low, drawn-out, rumbling laugh. He rose from his throne, throwing his cape back behind him, and strode down toward the mobile cage where Zelda cowered, fearful.

"Oh, on the contrary," he spoke, "my reign is just beginning to flourish. Soon I will spread my forces far beyond this wretched kingdom and envelop the whole world in darkness! It all starts here," he crooned, fondling the bars of Zelda's cage, leering down at her threateningly, "with the three of us. Once I assemble the three parts of the Triforce, my _dreams_ will come true. In order to do that, however," he spoke with a sadistic grin, "I must first remove the Triforce fragments from your bodies." He leaned in close, almost pressing his face against the cage, making Zelda squirm against the back of her enclosure. "I hear it's an…extremely painful procedure…

"And that's why I'm starting with you!" he roared, pulling back suddenly and laying eyes on the prostrate Hero. Link's angry expression quickly turned into a defiant smirk and he kept his eyes on Ganon as he drew close. "Yes, I believe I'll need to cut open your flesh and drain all of your blood to siphon out the essence of the goddesses. Afterward, I think your carcass will make a fine addition to my ReDead army, or perhaps a lovely accent to my trophy hall."

"Guess again," Link chuckled, straining forward against his chains. "Don't tell me you can't feel it, oh omnipotent one."

"Feel what?" Ganon spoke, biting the line Link had strung out for him. "What are you prattling about?"

"The Triforce of Courage," Link spat, almost scornfully. "I don't have it."

Ganon's expression quickly changed from a grin of mirth to a stare of disbelief. A tense moment passed, causing the entire room to fall into silence. He lunged for the Hero, grabbing him by the left arm and heaving him up into the air. Link cried out as his arm became dislocated from its socket. He hung there in midair, writhing in pain, as Ganon inspected his left hand. Sure enough, the mark of the Triforce had vanished and was instead replaced by a gnarled wound. Link had torn his own hand open and removed the Triforce in an effort to keep it out of Ganon's grasp.

"You insolent little cur!" Ganondorf roared. He switched his grip to hold Link by the throat and balled his other hand into a powerful fist. "_Where_ did you throw it?" he yelled, bringing his fist hard into Link's stomach. The Hero made a sickening, guttural sound as his eyes dilated and fresh blood began to pool in his mouth. "To whom did you leave the Triforce of Courage?" Ganon struck him again and as his attacks escalated, his fist began to glow with a menacing purple fire. "_Tell me!_"

Zelda watched in panic as Ganondorf whaled on the Hero. The minions around her cackled loudly, reveling in Link's torment. She heard his bones breaking and watched his blood spill onto the carpet and Ganon's garments. Finally, she could stand it no more. She covered her ears, thrashing her head about wildly as she wailed.

"Dark Link!" she cried out. "He gave the Triforce to Dark Link!"

The beating abruptly stopped and all eyes turned to the Princess. Ganon's gaze was especially fearsome. He walked to the cage, his arm falling limp and dropping the beaten Hero before the Princess. He leaned down and stared at her with a gaze that chilled her to her core. His tone was flat and quiet, but sill as threatening as before.

"What…did you…say?"

"Dark Link," she spoke, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He is the new holder of the Triforce of Courage."

"_Auuugh_!" Ganon roared, reeling and holding his face. "Why does this relic keep _escaping me_?" Zelda, although terrified, sprung to the front of her cage and reached through the bars to touch her beloved Hero, listening to his haggard breathing.

"Your Highness," spoke the Stalfos, taking a slight step forward, "what 'ould you like us t' do?"

"That piteous coward won't set foot near this castle, Triforce or no Triforce," Ganon reasoned aloud. He turned to face his court, fire in his eyes as he bellowed. "Go, all of you! Find Dark Link and bring him to my chambers, dead or alive!"

The crowd let up a joyous roar and hastened toward the exits. The Lizalfos and Stalfos went to return their captives to the dungeon, but Ganondorf raised a trembling hand.

"No," he growled. "Leave them with me."

---

The upside to owning the Triforce of Courage was that, immediately, all of Dark Link's wounds had healed. The downside to owning the Triforce of Courage was the fact that it created its own wound of sorts.

Dark sat on the bed in Uula's cottage, gripping his left wrist so tightly that the knuckles on his right hand were bone-white. His arm was shaking slightly but, thankfully, the pain was starting to subside. The acute stabbing pain in his left hand was wearing off, replaced by an unsettling numbness. Pins and needles tingled his arm all the way up to the elbow and he groaned, flexing his fingers, trying to warm up his limb. It was no use; he couldn't feel a thing, and the effects felt permanent. He lifted his eyes now, rediscovering the _other_ downside to owning the Triforce of Courage.

Looming over him were five of the six holy Sages, staring at him with hopefulness and expectancy in their eyes. Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, and Nabooru had arrived shortly after Dark discovered the Triforce in his body. They were now all crammed into Uula's tiny one-room cottage, arranged in a semi-circle around the bed, watching intently as Dark adjusted to his new addition.

Dark sighed, shaking his arm in an effort to feel. "It's dead," he mumbled. "I can't feel a thing."

"Oh Dark," Uula sadly whispered, putting her hand on his other shoulder. "What's going to become of you now?"

"Don't you understand?" grunted Darunia, unfolding his arms and puffing up his chest. "Dark Link has to take Brother Link's place! He has to go and defeat Ganondorf, or else Hyrule is doomed!"

"Yeah," Nabooru piped up, grinning broadly. She widened her stance and put up her fists. "You need to get in there and give him a good one-two punch for us!"

Dark looked like a terrified puppy. "B-But I can't! I can't possibly hope to defeat Ganondorf!" He lowered his eyes, letting his head hang. "He _made_ me, he knows all of my weaknesses. Going off to fight him would be a march do my death."

"Don't say that, Dark," Saria quietly whispered. She came forward, leaning against his knee and looking up into his downcast eyes. She, like the rest of them, was amazed at how much he looked like Link; the resemblance was uncanny. She smiled reassuringly, resisting the urge to touch his face, to comfort him as she would have the Hero. "You need to believe in yourself."

"She's right, Dark Link," spoke the statuesque Impa. She stood tall above the rest, her arms folded over her broad chest and a confident smile on her lips. "Without the Triforce of Courage, you still took Link's place in the Shadow Temple and helped rescue me from the darkness. You had the bravery to go up against Ganondorf's minions and succeeded." She strode forward, placing a hand on his left shoulder. He winced, as it was slightly tender. "Link chose you because he believes in you. We all believe in you, Dark, and with the Triforce of Courage at your command," she stood tall again, folding her arms and closing her eyes, "you will be unstoppable."

Dark looked from Sage to Sage incredulously, watching them all nod in agreement, and then to Uula, who smiled like a proud parent. He could feel the determination welling inside him and he began to sit up taller. His fearful expression hardened slightly into a grin of resolve. "Well," he spoke, "even if I did have a choice in the matter, I know what I would need to decide." He nodded to his newfound allies – allies who he'd actually had all along. "I will ride to Ganon's Tower and defeat him!"

"Dark!" Navi chimed in, flitting around his head. "I'm coming with you. I'll fight by your side and together we'll beat Ganondorf!"

"We'll all be with you," spoke Impa. "We will lend you our power and help you in any way we can during this battle."

Dark wasted no time preparing for battle. In a matter of minutes, he was fully clothed in his black tunic and laden down with weaponry, ammunition, and more red potions than he could count. Outside the cottage, Epona stood waiting. Saria had called the mare and she allowed Dark to approach and mount her. He lingered a moment outside the cottage door, taking in the sight of his friends one last time.

"Dark!" Uula called. "Are you sure you don't want to take any of my special stew with you?"

"Thank you, Uula, but there's no time," he spoke. He kept his eyes on her, pursing his lips. "I will return here as soon as I can, I promise."

He couldn't bear to watch his mother figure begin to cry, and so he urged Epona out toward Hyrule Field. The Sages and Uula waved him off, watching him ride into the black cloud that surrounded the field.

Ruto, who'd been mostly silent up until this point, grinned mischievously. "He's kinda cute," she murmured to no one in particular. "I wonder if he's single…"

---

Once Epona descended the staircase, she stopped dead in her tracks, snorting in dismay. The field was shrouded in a thick, dark mist. It seemed like a wall of darkness stood between them and the castle.

"Dark, I have a bad feeling about this," Navi whimpered, alighting on his shoulder. She seemed visibly upset. "I can't sense anything in this fog."

"I can," he grinned, his red eyes flashing. "This is my element, Navi. Leave it to me."

Dark eased Epona into the mist, keeping his ears up and his eyes wide open. "Ganon's army is out in full force," he spoke, his voice no more than a hushed whisper. "I can see them through the mist. They're pouring out of the Castle Town."

"What'll we do?" Navi squeaked, nestling against Dark's neck.

"We have to stay as quiet as possible. That goes for you, too," he spoke, patting Epona's neck. "The other minions can't see as well as I do in this thick fog. If we stay silent, we can sneak right past them."

Thus they went forward, sneaking into the fog, closing in on the castle gates. Epona stepped as lightly as she could; Navi held her breath and waited; Dark sat confidently atop his mount, watching the minions pass by within several feet on either side, unaware of their presence. All was going well. He was sure they'd be within the town walls in minutes.

A sudden, strong pang of pain gripped his left arm and Dark drew in a sharp breath, doubling forward and clutching the unruly appendage. Navi squeezed his earlobe to let him know she was there, but she didn't dare make a sound. The pain was much more intense than before and Dark leaned against Epona's neck, struggling to stay in control of himself. The numbness was suddenly gone from his left arm and the only thing he could feel was a great stabbing pain, as though someone had caught his hand in a bear trap. That pain was quickly spreading like fire throughout his body, traveling up his arm and settling in his chest. His vision began to blur and for a moment, he feared that he would black out. _What would be worse_, he quickly asked himself, _passing out in the middle of this horde or having to do battle with them all?_

Dark threw his head back and let out a wail unlike any they'd ever heard. He released all of his pain, his anger, and his anxiety into one ear-piercing wail, a cry that could be heard at the very edges of the field. Every vile face turned in his direction and Dark, panicking, took hold of Epona's mane and dug his heels into her sides. She reared, whinnying loud, and charged into the mass of beasts, heading toward the town gates. She trampled several lesser minions but when a wall of Stalfos blocked her path, she came skidding to a halt. Dark drew his black sword, but it was hard to hold in his aching hand. He swung at the skeletal warriors as best he could, but they grabbed him by the legs, pulling him down from his mount in a matter of seconds. Once on the ground, Dark was enveloped by the crowd and swallowed up beneath them. He was quickly overpowered and knew that his only option was to flee. He attempted to melt, to become that shadowy black puddle so that he might more easily sneak away. When he tried, though, the Triforce only gave him more trouble. It resisted his dark magic and burned even hotter, causing him to cry out. As his adversaries raised their weapons, Dark cowered beneath his shield, hoping that if he surrendered he would get away with little harm.

Somewhere close by, he heard a shrill cry, followed by the wails of many wounded minions. The crowd around him broke and a horse came stumbling over, almost trampling Dark beneath its hooves. A strong feminine hand reached down and grabbed him by the shoulder, hauling him up onto the horse's rear. It took him a moment to get situated on his new mount and when he did, he found himself seated behind the female Gerudo leader!

"None will hamper the progress of the father of the next Gerudo tribe!" she yelled, skillfully maneuvering her horse through the raging battlefield. Dark looked around, astounded to see that the Gerudo tribe was out in full force, battling fiercely with Ganondorf's army and laying waste to the lot of them. _Nabooru must have told them to come_, he reasoned. The horse lurched forward and he gave a cry of surprise, clinging to the rider's hips as they pressed onward toward the Castle Town.

Once inside the gates, there were a few sparse minions standing between him and the tower. Dark dismounted and nodded gratefully up to his newfound friend. "Thanks for the help, I can take it from here!"

The Gerudo winked in return. "When you're through here, we have a royal welcome waiting for you back at the Fortress."

Dark laughed nervously, glad that the Gerudo left without assaulting him first. He turned then, setting his sights on Ganon's tower, looming far above on the horizon. He settled his black shield on his right arm and held his sword with his left. It was hard to stay in control of his own limb, however. It was now numb up to the shoulder and seriously hampered his sword-wielding skills. Despite this, Dark's rising courage drove him onward. He cut through his enemies with ease as he neared Ganon's Tower.

"Dark Link!" Navi cried. "We're almost there, hang on!"

"Don't worry, Navi," Dark spoke, ducking under the blade of the last Stalfos before laying him to waste. "We're going to fight our way to the top. Nothing's going to stop me!" He stood over the remains of his last adversary, lifting his head and reveling in the chill breeze that blustered over his body. Standing in the shadow of the great tower, his former home, he felt determination swelling within him.

"I will defeat Ganondorf and retake Hyrule tonight!"


	7. The Stand

Holy crapola I WROTE SOMETHING. **TEN PAGES** OF SOMETHING. And it's not utter crap!

**To the reviewers at and Topaze Fire, Rynada, Xena Minotaur Girl, moonlit-leaf, Evol, YuriNekochan, NuitariAquarius, Avery-kun, mia, Anon, Dragon, and Kate: thank you so kindly for your reviews. All of your encouragement, your appreciation, and every little tidbit about how my story has affected you has been overwhelmingly inspiring. Without your reviews I would not have the impetus to have written this new chapter so quickly (especially in the face of a ten-page art history paper).**

There were so many reviews and I am so eager to post this story already that I can't answer each of you individually. However, to cover some basic questions and comments…

- I'm not really sure about the yaoi anymore. It isn't really going to fit in this chapter, as you will soon find out, and … Well, the "sex" in chapter two was to emphasize Dark Link's confused, immature character, not really to establish a relationship between him and Link. I think he has more "feelings" for Ganondorf in this story, eh?

- I'm so thrilled that you've all found my story interesting and unpredictable. I've really done my best to stray as far as possible from the ho-hum USUAL OoT fic. I'm also glad that some of you have been able to read this without any background in the game. I am definitely doing my job, eh?

- Some like Sheik as a separate character, some don't. I agree with the few of you who pointed out that it needs to be a _plausible_ reason for an I'm-not-Zelda Sheik. Gay sexin's is NOT a good enough reason.

- I worked hard on the descriptions in this chapter as well and I hope they're up to par. Choreographing fight scenes in literature can be incredibly frustrating! I give much of my respect to the authors who pull it off nicely.

- Some of you have grown to like Navi and I just think that's awesome. She's not my favorite per se but I never hated her and I wanted to convince some of the fandom that she's not always an annoying gnat.

- Lastly, and most importantly, I really love that you guys like what I have done with Dark Link. When I began the story, I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing. As most authors may do, I like to put a bit of myself in each character. Ganondorf is my outlet for my evil, antagonistic side. Link is my good-hearted side, Zelda my stubborn side. Because of the things that are going on in my life right now, I felt it was most appropriate for me to personify Dark Link as my vulnerable side. I took a huge gamble with him but it must be paying off. I'm really glad that you guys like it!

I have to apologize to you guys and to everyone for this chapter taking so long. I tried to start it THREE TIMES and every time I got it wrong. That third time was the charm, though, and finally file DLink777.doc yielded something worthwhile for me to post.

**_NOTE_**: The version of this story may not come with the appropriate italics and bold print and therefore may lose meaning and impact. If that word "NOTE" isn't bold or italicized then … Well, you get the idea. If this bothers you as much as it would me then please visit the version at:

hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

--

Ganondorf stood at the back wall of his great throne room, opening the last of the stained glass windows and allowing a frigid wind into the tower. With it came the strong scent of blood wafting up from Hyrule Plain, now a battleground for the Gerudo and his dark minions. He gazed out onto the plain, his gaze traveling the great expanse of smothering blackness and going beyond, to the border of the Lost Woods. Directly south of his stronghold, Ganondorf knew that this region was the key to conquering other worlds. Rarely did outsiders enter Hyrule from the arid Gerudo Desert or the treacherous heights of Death Mountain ridge. No, "tourists" usually entered from the Lost Woods. That was where the damnable Hero had come from, after all.

Thinking of the Hero, Ganon turned now to where his two esteemed guests reclined. Seated on either side of his immense throne, Link and Zelda knelt on great velvet pillows, gazing shamefully at the floor. Their wrists were chained together and attached to either side of the great throne. Both had been stripped of their Hylian garb and instead were wrapped in the gossamer fabrics of Gerudo slaves. They shivered as the chilly breeze nipped at their exposed skin and Ganondorf chuckled, noting their discomfort.

"Enjoy it," he murmured, stalking toward them and taking a seat on his great throne. "Once my reign reaches its height, all of Hyrule will be overrun by the great Gerudo Desert. This will be the last cool breeze either of you will feel for quite some time."

His piercing yellow eyes moved from one silent captive to the other, but neither of them lifted their heads or acknowledged his presence. He opened his mouth to chastise them for their ignorance but before he could speak an explosion far below rocked the tower. Link and Zelda nervously gripped their pillows, but Ganondorf made no move. He simply sat back with a sigh, closing his eyes as he silently prepared for the battle ahead.

"So," he murmured, "Dark has finally come to reunite with his Master."

Beneath Ganondorf's gaze, Link's and Zelda's eyes met. The princess's eyes were filled with fear, but Link's well full of courage and hope. Deep down inside, he knew he'd made the right choice. He knew that Dark would come through for them.

He had to.

---

Breaking through Ganondorf's barrier? Not so bad. Battling his way past the last line of Stalfos? Bearable. But as Dark trudged up what felt like the seven-hundredth set of stairs he'd encountered this evening, he felt that the sheer height of Ganon's tower was the greatest challenge of all. The hallway he scaled was completely dark, save the light of Navi's shining appearance and the lightning that occasionally flickered in the distance. His breath came in shallow pants as he trudged up one step after another, his leg muscles screaming as he did so.

Dark was tired, not only from vigorous fighting or from this climb. He'd strapped his sword and shield to his back for the moment so that he could baby his aching left arm. The Triforce was warm and pulsing in his hand and it was causing him great pain. In an effort to not upset Navi, though, he kept his mouth shut about it. He held his left arm just above the elbow, squeezing tightly. He feared that the numbness in his arm would spread into his chest and possibly render him immobile. The entire limb felt hot to the touch and it made him increasingly worried.

Finally, the last step came into view. Dark mounted the landing and paused, breathing deeply as he stared at the great gilded door that stood between him and destiny. Fear gripped his heart and for an instant, as a flash of lightning lit up the grim hallway, he felt that cowardly flight was a fantastic option.

"This is it, Dark," Navi whispered, her voice snapping him back to reality. "Are you ready?"

"I am," he spoke, hoping that his voice didn't betray the nervousness in his heart. He swallowed hard, reaching back to ready his sword and his shield. "Navi," he whispered, "I have something to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked, coming to his side.

"I don't want you to fight with me," he said, keeping his eyes on the door. "I want you to find Link and free him, wherever he is. We need him to end this; I can't do it alone."

A tense silence grew between them. Navi knew better than to argue with Dark right now. He was about to go through a harrowing experience and she didn't want to make it any harder on him. This was one of the few times in her life that she wished she were bigger. She wanted with all of her heart to take over for him, to help him out of this mess, but she knew that all she could do to help was follow his orders.

"A-Alright," she whispered. "I'll try to find another way into the throne room. While you have Ganondorf distracted, I'll free Link."

"Hurry," Dark huffed, reaching for his cumbersome sword and shield. "I don't know how long I can last against him."

Navi lingered for a moment, hovering near Dark's face. He felt her tiny hands brush against his skin as though she was giving him a gentle kiss, and then she was gone. Silently, she let herself out through one of the open windows in the hallway, going around the outside of the tower to find a new way into the stronghold.

Dark stood still for some time, as though he was waiting for the doors to open themselves. When they didn't, he reached forward with his right hand, grasped the handle tightly, and pulled the doors open. He closed his eyes as a frigid breeze blew past him, ruffling his raven bangs and his black uniform. The doors creaked open and he stood framed in the doorway, sword and shield ready, poised for battle. Across the vast expanse of the dark throne room sat Ganondorf, cross-legged on his great chair, his cheek resting on one great fist. His free hand was idly stroking Zelda's golden hair. She cowered, helpless beneath his touch.

"Dark Link," Ganondorf spoke. "Welcome home."

Dark glowered as he saw Link and Zelda chained like pets at Ganon's feet. He gripped the dark Master Sword tightly and stepped further into the room, locking eyes with his surrogate. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Link's bright blue gaze hopefully watching him. He couldn't break his concentration on his Master, though. Ganondorf was unpredictable and volatile, Dark knew, especially since his goal was so close at hand.

The dark king rose, throwing back his cape, and slowly stalked toward his puppet. His gait was slow and measured, his arms relaxed at his sides, and Dark knew that he wouldn't strike just yet. Nevertheless, he raised his weapon slightly, warning the Gerudo back. An arm's length separated them, and while Ganon's stance was relaxed, Dark was a coiled spring.

"You have something for me, my pet."

"No, I don't," returned the minion, glaring up at Ganondorf coldly.

Dark Link didn't move as he felt Ganon's rough, calloused hand on his face, under his chin. His father's touch was warm and comforting; the dark king could be quite charismatic when he wanted to be. Link's and Zelda's jaws dropped to the floor as they beheld this tenderness, as they were sure Dark was about to have his head ripped clean off. Having the triforces of Power and Wisdom so near made Dark's left arm jump to life with new pain, though, and he snapped into action. He leapt back, raising his weaponry higher and putting on his angriest face.

"Don't treat me like I am not a threat!" he hissed. "You can't charm me into giving you what you're after."

"No," Ganondorf spoke calmly as he took a cautious step back. "No, I suppose I won't. I made you much stronger than that, didn't I?" His cold yellow eyes lingered over Dark's left hand and he noticed the skin turning pink and hot with the burden of the Triforce. "But no matter how well I made you, you won't be able to withstand that pain for much longer."

As if on cue, Dark Link's arm was set ablaze with fresh agony. The dark Master Sword hit the floor with a clatter, followed shortly by his shield, and he stumbled back, gripping his arm at the wrist. He felt as though molten lava was spreading up through his veins from his hand, now engulfing his chest. His lungs constricted, his heartbeat felt like a jackhammer beneath his sternum, and the torment was slowly spreading into his neck and head. Dark's eyes dilated with pain and he grit his teeth so hard that his jaw began to twitch, but he would not let himself cry out.

"Don't try to hide it," Ganondorf crooned, his charming tone tickling Dark's ears like dark velvet. "The more you hold it in, the more it will ravage your body and cause you pain."

"Sh-Shut up!" Dark spat, glaring at Ganondorf. The distraction was causing him some self-control. His vision blurred and he sank to one knee, suddenly aware that he could pass out at any time.

"Dark Link," Ganon crooned, his voice just above a whisper, "don't you think I went through the same thing?" He held up his hand where the Triforce of Power burned furiously. "You and I were cast in the same dark mold. The Triforce is cursing you just as it cursed me. I went through the same thing and I know what it feels like. Now relax," he whispered, leaning in closely to Dark's face. "Relax and let it out."

Whimpering softly, Dark eyed Ganondorf like a frightened puppy. He didn't trust his surrogate but as a fresh wave of agony washed over him, he realized that he had little choice. He opened his mouth to cry out but just as his voice grew in his throat, it was silenced by Ganondorf's fist in his stomach. Ganon lifted him clear off the floor, watching with pleasure as blood pooled on his tongue, and before Dark could fall back to earth Ganon took him by the throat. The helpless minion hung gripping Ganon's wrist with his right hand, as he had lost complete control of his left arm. His mouth was agape as he struggled for air and his legs were twitching in an attempt to climb up and free himself from Ganon's iron grasp. His ears were pounding and his vision began to blur and, for an instant, a vivid and terrifying fear of death burned in his chest.

A vision of a pristine Kakariko village, free of darkness and fear, flashed in his mind before his vision went black.

---

When he felt Dark stop struggling, a sickly grin spread across Ganondorf's face. He took hold of the minion's flaccid left arm. The Triforce of Courage was reacting violently, humming inside his dead hand. Being this close to his goal prompted Ganondorf to ignore the need for finesse. He held Dark's left wrist and laid the rest of his limp body on the floor, placing his great boot on the minion's chest. With a great straining heave, Ganondorf pulled on Dark's arm until the flesh separated. Pleased with his brutish display, the dark king began to chuckle. He held Dark's severed arm up like some grotesque trophy, letting blood stain his skin.

"At last!" bellowed the ecstatic king, "at last the Triforce is mine!"

"Not if we can help it," growled an enraged Princess. Without warning, Dark's arm was jarred from Ganondorf's grasp and pinned against the far wall. Zelda quickly nocked another glistening light arrow onto Link's bow, training the weapon on Ganondorf's massive form. Navi had succeeded in freeing both her and the hero Link who retrieved the Master Sword from its trophy place on Ganon's wall. The irate pair faced Ganondorf, weapons raised and ready, thirsty for the blood of the hated tyrant.

Coupling the Triforce of Power with Ganondorf's volatile rage was never a good combination. The evil king turned on the brave pair now, his eyes afire and his body trembling as raw, visceral power coursed through his veins. Cursing himself for not killing them while he had the chance, Ganondorf now silently vowed to carry out that dark deed.

He fixed his sights on the Princess first. He was at Zelda's side before she realized he'd moved, breathing down her neck and growling in her ear. She yelped in surprise, accidentally letting her arrow fly as he clamped one great arm about her waist. He easily plucked the bow from her hands and snapped it in one great fist, watching with pleasure as the finely crafted wood splintered in his hand. He felt the sudden urge to do the same to the princess then. He grabbed her by the waist and neck and started bending her backward, but she was quicker than he expected. She thrust her palms into his torso and yelled out, "Din's Fire!" as a ball of flame erupted between them.

Ganondorf stumbled backward, letting go of the princess and roaring in pain as a portion of his robes and his flesh burned away. As he tried to recover, he was blinded by Navi, who swirled around his head like a hateful little gnat. Growling in dismay, he swung his arms, trying to squash her between his palms, but she deftly evaded his attacks. The little fairy got too cocky, though, and when she was sure he was exasperated she stopped in his face to stick her tongue out at him. Roughly, he plucked her out of the air by her wings and flung her across the throne room, pleased that her light disappeared from sight.

The Hero was upon him immediately, his Master Sword biting into the king's arms and shoulders. He roared like a wounded animal, stumbling as he backed into the wall. Seeking to defend himself, Ganon grabbed a broadsword from the trophy wall and raised it just as the Master Sword came down toward his face. The two met with a clang between he and Link, and an ugly grin spread across his face. Though he'd been caught off guard, he wouldn't be defeated so easily.

When she was sure that Ganondorf was distracted, Zelda ran across the throne room where she worked frantically to free the Triforce from Dark's severed arm. While she knew she should be helping Dark Link, she realized that little could be done for him now. Her priority was freeing the Triforce of Courage and fleeing with it. Her fingers were slick with Dark's oily blood as she fumbled around in the small wound she'd opened in the back of his hand. Eventually and with much effort she had found the Triforce lodged in his flesh and was working fervently to free it.

Navi had been rendered flightless from Ganondorf's callous attack. She had been hurtled to the floor near the center of the room, quite close to where Dark had fallen. When the fairy opened her eyes and saw him lying there next to her, she knew that she needed to see if he was still alive. Mustering all of her strength, she crawled across the floor and settled down next to his face, looking up into his half-open eyes.

"Dark," she whispered, reaching up to tug on his long right ear, "Dark wake up…"

His brows twitched as he heard the familiar voice in the distance, calling to him from his sleep.

"Dark, wake up… We need you…"

Light and color flooded his brain as he eyes opened, making them burn furiously. He was woozy from blood loss and oxygen deprivation and he groaned, his head lolling to the side. There he beheld Navi, crumpled on the floor and looking up to him helplessly.

"Dark, are you alright?"

"Navi," he whispered, unwilling to summon the energy to move. "Did you … find Link?"

"Yes, he's taking care of Ganondorf right now," she replied.

Dark squinted at her, just now noticing that her one wing looked odd. Ganondorf's rough fingers had broken her delicate wings and she was in obvious pain. Her tiny knuckles were white as she gripped the carpet beneath her.

"Navi," he whispered, "you're hurt."

"Dark, look at yourself."

He did as she told him, lifting his head and looking down at himself. It was then that, with great alarm, he noticed that his left arm was completely missing. His eyes widened as he beheld his gaping shoulder wound and the lake of blood surrounding him. He groaned in misery, his head thumping back against the floor as he tightly closed his eyes. A new dizziness overcame him and he felt as though he was going to be violently ill.

Link got in another lucky slice, opening a fresh and painful wound in Ganondorf's side. The Gerudo bellowed in pain, dropping his sword with a clatter and backing away a few paces, clutching the burning wound. His eyes were wild with fury as he glared down at the Hero.

"You irksome little menace!" he spat, flinging his hand in Link's direction. His blood splattered on the Hero's clothes and, conveniently, into his eyes. The stinging pain caused Link to falter, rubbing furiously at his face. "This ends here!" Ganondorf continued. "_None of you are leaving here alive!_"

With that he lifted one great fist into the air and, with a mighty yell, brought it down into the floor. The force of the impact was much like that of an earthquake and caused the entire tower to shake. The stained glass windows cracked, dust sifted down from the shaken ceiling, and large tiles in the throne room floor began to fall away. Link lost his footing and, crying out, plunged into the darkness below the room. Zelda, who had by now luckily managed to free the Triforce of Courage from Dark's arm, also stumbled into the chasm. A long crack in the floor separated Navi and Dark and, as her bad luck would have it, the floor beneath Navi gave way. She fell with it two stories beneath the throne room, landing among the wreckage with the two fallen heroes.

Most would not call it luck, but the section of the floor on which Dark lay prostrate fortunately remained intact and stable. He and Ganondorf were the only two left in the highest level of the tower. He could hear Ganondorf's haggard breathing from across the room as the great king struggled with his wounds.

"It's a shame that you chose to take this path. You are truly a magnificent creature," Ganondorf complimented his sadly wounded pet, "and I would have been proud to rule the world with you at my side. My dear puppet, my pet…" He trailed off for a moment, composing himself as he prepared to finish off his dearest creation.

"… my son."

Dark Link's breath hitched in his chest and his eyes went wide. He wasn't sure about this strange feeling that was washing over him, this conflicting sense of overwhelming joy and utter revulsion. Before he could analyze his feelings, another wave of exhaustion threatened to rob him of consciousness. The room began to spin and his stomach rose up into his throat. He groaned, closing his eyes and silently giving in to his fatigue.

---

"_I just wish that things were back to normal, the way they were before Ganondorf took over the kingdom. I wish that all of the monsters were gone from this village and that we could all live in harmony again…_"

Ganondorf, full of dark intentions, strode toward his unconscious minion, his hands balled into angry fists. Should he skin Dark Link and lay the pelt at the foot of his bed? Perhaps he could try reaching down the creature's throat and pulling him inside out; he'd always wanted to try that! Or perhaps he should attempt taxidermy and keep the battered body as a trophy in his new castle. No, he thought, grinning as a useful idea came to mind. He should dismantle the puppet and re-create him, stronger and more loyal than before, a fitting bodyguard for the new king.

Ganondorf stopped halfway across the room when he noticed that his own shadow was melting away. Surprise registered on his otherwise stony face as he watched his shadow moving like a fine mist on the floor. It disappeared like water being pulled down a drainpipe, collecting beneath the body of his fallen creation.

"**_Do not come any closer_**," Dark Link spoke with a growl. His eyes snapped open, blindingly white and shining, and he pulled himself to his feet with little difficulty. He stood tall, taller than before, and looked Ganondorf directly in the eyes. His voice had taken on a ghostly quality; it sounded as though he spoke with many voices at once. His tone was black and hateful.

"**_Rapist_**."

"Wh-What?" chuckled Ganondorf, looking with disbelief and apprehension upon his creation. "Dark Link, what are you talking about? What's happening to you?"

"**_You sit high up in this tower, but you are not a king_**," he spoke, turning his back to Ganondorf and walking toward the far wall. When he came to the large gaps in the floor, he simply stepped right into them, walking on thin air. "**_You stole the throne and the kingdom, but you are not a thief. You killed the people of Hyrule, but you are not a murderer. You are a rapist._**" Dark reached up with his one good hand and grabbed his severed arm, pulling it down from the wall. "**_You defiled our precious Hyrule. Her rivers run dry, her forests are choked with weeds, her mountains spit fire, her rolling plain is wilted and dry. You even went so far as to pollute the hallowed realm of the dead with your unholy presence._**"

He held the severed arm up to his open shoulder and closed his eyes in concentration. Shadowy tendrils reached out from Dark's body and took hold of his arm, pulling it back toward his torso and reattaching it instantly. The Gerudo puppet master, agape, was unaware that his minion had the power to heal himself. Dark looked down at his reattached arm, shaking it out, flexing first the elbow, the wrist, and then each of his fingers in turn. Dark turned toward the tyrant now and Ganondorf, looking around, realized that the room was getting very dark.

"**_You abused our corpses. You cut us up and stitched us together into monsters for your amusement. We who once fought against you were forced to fight for you and now we can stand it no more!_**" He advanced now, his body melding into the back shadows, only his eyes and mouth showing on his dark silhouette.

"**_Eternal rest cannot be granted to those whose bodies are still 'alive'. The day you banished this creature from your sight was the day we began to take over again. When Dark Link lost his faith in you, we began to grow strong. Now is our time to do battle with you, the vile man who tore our bodies apart! Now we will make up for the battle we lost seven long years ago._**

"**_This is for the people you have slain!" _**The entire room was enveloped in blackness as though night had fallen over the peak of Ganon's tower. Even the lightning that flashed outside didn't penetrate the dark fortress. **_"For the soldiers and peasants you sewed into monsters! For the hell you have made of our precious land!" _**Dark loomed over Ganondorf now, who stood dumbfounded beneath the great mass of his shadow creature. His eyes burned brightly and he gave a shrill screech, opening his shadowy body up.

"**_FOR HYRULE!_**"

---

"Link?" Zelda, looking around frantically, stumbled through the rubble beneath the throne room, searing through the darkness for her Hero. "Link, where are you?" She held one hand against her chest, within her tiny fist the Triforce of Courage. On her shoulder sat Navi, the only source of light in this black cavern. Zelda staggered through the darkness, frantically calling, "Link? Link, answer me!"

From across the room she heard a groan. She rushed over, gasping in horror as she found only half of the Hero's body. Link sat up, crying out as he felt the pressure of a large stone ceiling tile on his legs.

"Link!" The princess, though horrified, wasted no time. She knelt down and took hold of the great marble slab and together, with much effort, they pushed the great stone aside. Thankfully, his legs beneath were not bruised or broken. Link stood shakily, breathing heavily as he leaned slightly on Zelda, regaining his composure.

The Hero looked around, breathing haggardly, assessing his surroundings. The floor beneath the throne room must have been a storage room, as it was mostly bare save for several clay jars. While most of the ceiling above had fallen away, there was a central column that rose to the room above. On all four sides of it were rungs large enough to climb up.

As he was looking around, Link noticed that the darkness in this basement was getting brighter and brighter. At first he thought his eyes were just adjusting to the light, but gradually he realized that the darkness was actually disappearing, being sucked away. Navi, Zelda, and Link looked around in wonder and as the hairs rose on the back of his neck, Link turned to his two companions.

"Zelda, Navi, where is Dark?"

In answer to his question, the yell of a furious Gerudo erupted upstairs. The three turned their heads toward the source of the noise but could see nothing. The entire top story of the tower was blanketed in darkness. Link suddenly felt nauseatingly nervous and immediately went to the column in the center of the room. Frantically he began climbing, mounting the ladder toward the throne room. Zelda grabbed him by the hem of his dusty brown garment, trying to pull him back.

"Link! What are you doing!?"

"I'm going to help Dark!" he called back, looking down at the princess with an intense, steely gaze. "Let me go, I have to help him!"

Zelda released him, watching him climb up toward the battleground, and just as he was halfway up the tower began to shake. A great tremor rattled the walls and shattered the stained glass windows. As shards of colored glass began to fall into their prison like rain, Navi whimpered and hid herself in Zelda's hair.

"I want to follow him," she whispered.

"Then that makes two of us," Zelda replied. Determined, she latched onto the ladder and began climbing, determined to follow Link to his death if that's what he wanted.

The pair climbed up toward the throne room, Link arriving first. The entire way up there, he had heard the angry, struggling, pained cries of Ganondorf and Dark Link, but as he reached the throne room they were abruptly silenced. There was a very tangible border between the throne room and the storage room below, separated by thick black shadow. As Link stuck his head into the room, he felt that the atmosphere was much different here. It was oppressively hot and stuffy, harder to breathe than it had been below. Coughing to clear his lungs, he climbed into the room. After giving his eyes a moment to adjust, Link gasped in shock at the disturbing scene before him.

"**_He always wanted to be a part of you_**," hissed the fragmented voice of Dark Link's hideous new form. Bright white eyes glared coldly down at the dark king who struggled within his shadowy bonds. The shadow creature was enveloping him within his own body, pulling him in and smothering him with thick black miasma. Ganon wrenched his head free for a moment, coughing and spitting as though he was drowning, but the creature grabbed him back and continued to smother him within its own body. "**_He always wanted to be close to your heart, but we think that your stomach and lungs will do fine…_**"

Zelda surmounted the column, huffing with effort, and stopped just behind Link. She gasped in horror, gripping his arm and hiding behind him. The astounded pair watched as Dark Link's body bulged and strained to hold in the struggling Gerudo king. For several minutes the pair wrestled, Dark grunting as he struggled to keep Ganondorf within him. Gradually the struggle ceased and, exhausted, the shadow beast released his prisoner from within. Ganondorf's body tumbled out of the shadow and onto the floor in a crumpled, bedraggled heap.

He lay silent and breathless, facedown in the floor. Several tense minutes passed before warm, blackened blood began to trickle out of his open mouth and nose.

"**_He is dead." _**Immediately, the light in Dark Link's eyes died. The room began to get lighter again as the shadows were chased away by the intermittent lightning outside. The spirits within Dark Link, their voices slowly fading away, sighed with relief. **_"We have done our job. He is finally dead…" _**Dark's massive shadow form began to shrink, to return to the normal size and shape of his humanoid body. **_"Hyrule is ours once again…"_**

The color returned to his body and Dark Link shakily stood, bruised and bloodied, pale from blood loss. His ruby eyes lit up again, returned to focus, and he stared down with incredulous disbelief at what he had done. He then lifted his eyes to Link and Zelda who mirrored his dumbfounded gaze with just the added touch of fear.

Immediately, his consciousness began to leave him. His eyes clouded over, his ears went deaf, and as he fell backward he saw Link rush forward to catch him.

And then they were gone.


	8. The Departure

Well finals are finished and so is this story. Or this part of the story, I should say. Yes, there is a lot more Dark Link goodness to come and it will come as quickly as I can pry myself away from Twilight Princess. Actually, the game is really inspiring for me. Hopefully I won't get ahead of myself and I'll be able to proceed as originally planned…

I got a lot of reviews very quickly on this last chapter. Thanks to those who did!

At Adultfanfiction:

OMG I just looked and saw that "To Be Real" just got its 3,300th hit on AFF!! MY BABY IS GETTING… so…old? No, used I guess. ICK.

Kate: At the risk of sounding like a total bitch, I sometimes wish that there was some sort of screening process for fiction posting. That'll give jobs to some unemployed Americans, eh? I stopped sloughing through the muck of fanfiction ages ago. Thus, I write. Thanks for reviewing!

Avery-kun: XD I don't need to reply to you here, we talk all the time now. HEARTS AND FUCKWIN.

Ithy: Thank you for the review! Maybe you'll find something small and smolderingly hot at the end of this chapter. Hey, I never thought about it, but what if Dark went into his shadow mode and he and Link -- … Wow I just got chills.

Dragon: Thanks for the review! LoL I really loved the play-by-play of your reactions to the story. I love hearing things like that! If you have any strong reactions to this one, too, I'd love to hear them…

Rvbyaoifan: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoy my writing style, I'm flattered actually!

Megan: Thanks for the review +1! And yes I am writing more.

Chibikitten: The beauty of writing without a plan is that handy things can just pop up every once in a while. Like, "Oh shit, Ganon is going to sick his army on poor injured Dark, but wait! Those desert bitches!!" Shit like that doesn't get PLANNED. It just HAPPENS. I really loved your review, it was so kind and flattering, and I actually sat and read it a few times lol. People like you keep me writing; thank you for inspiring me further and making me feel like I'm actually DOING something GOOD, not wasting my time here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Blueeyes: As convincing as your yaoi argument is, well… Read this chapter and see if you like. wink

Kiyo-chan: Thanks for the review and for your compliments! I would love to turn this into a real book some day. I've been looking at how other authors have published their work and now the gears are turning….

Nuitari Aquarius: Thanks for the review and don't worry, the sequel will start quickly since Christmas break is here!!

At incarnate: It feels great to hear that people who haven't played the games are able to easily follow along with the fic. Feels even better to hear that Navi has become likeable! A lot of other people have said the same thing and while that wasn't my intention, I'm glad it happened. Thanks for the review, I'm glad you enjoyed the descriptions, and I promise nothing will make you cringe in this one – lol.

Moonlit-leaf: Glad to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks for reviewing me.

Topaze Fire: Well this particular fic is getting finished up, but I planned on doing a second part for this "series". You'll get a feel for what I mean by the end of this chapter. Thanks for the review!

Xena Minotaur Girl: If I could sit down and write fics like this EVERY DAY, believe me I would. But alas, school got all up in my way and I had to set my darling Dark aside for a while. But now it's finished, and more is coming! Maybe not soon-soon, not like next week or anything, but as soon as I sort out a new storyline in my head. I do my best thinking in the shower, so I am going to be EXTRA CLEAN for the next several days, LoL. Thanks for all the reviews!

Rynada: Your little pun makes me giggle every time I read it. Thanks for the kind review, and here is the final chapter!

Okay now that all that is taken care of, here's the last chapter of "To Be Real." The second part of the story should start quickly, so keep an eye on my author profile. As always, kind and flattering reviews are always appreciated. The harder my ego gets stroked, the more likely my brain is to ejaculate good ideas!

… That was gross.

---

Now that Ganondorf was finally slain, all of Hyrule erupted in joyous celebration. The remaining inhabitants of the five Hylian tribes poured out onto Hyrule Plain, praising both the goddesses and their glorious heroes. They lit bonfires in which to toss the remaining relics of Ganondorf's tyranny and they danced and sang around them. Families were reunited, old lovers were found, new friends were made, and everyone got together to rejoice and to feast with one another. Even as the moon began to rise over the healing country, their celebration didn't cease. The bonfires remained lit well into the night.

Several hours into the festivities, Dark Link was exhausted from all the singing, the drinking, the storytelling, and the dancing. He broke away from the circle of dancers surrounding the bonfire, ducked beneath the crowd of onlookers, and quietly scampered away from it all. As the cacophony faded behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from his brow. Dark had never been to a party before and he reveled in all of its activity.

Dark rubbed at his eyes, attempting to adjust to the blackness of the night, and he eventually noticed Link lying in the grass several hundred yards away. At first Dark became worried, starting for him at a swift jog and calling his name. But, as he neared the Hero, Dark realized that Link was just relaxing, enjoying a rare quiet moment on his own.

"I've spent much of the last several months fighting alone," he said as Dark approached, not taking his eyes off the stars. " I'm not really used to being surrounded by tons of people like that. Besides, I'm not really in the mood to celebrate, are you?"

"Of course I am," Dark replied, sitting down above Link's head and sprawling out on the grass. Their heads were right next to each other's so that they could have a private conversation, but their bodies were splayed out in opposite directions. "Ganondorf is gone and Hyrule is at peace again. Why wouldn't you celebrate?"

"Do you know how old I am?" Link asked. His question seemed out of place, almost like a diversionary tactic.

Dark faltered for only a second. "Uh…Ganondorf made me to look eighteen. I assume you're the same a--"

"I'm eleven," Link interrupted, sounding suddenly angry. "I have the body of an adult but my mind feels empty in places, like so many memories are missing. Seven years of my life were robbed from me by that fucked-up monster," he spat. His fists were clenched and his muscles were tense. Dark felt him tremble with anger. "I've been so lost and confused, so oblivious to some of the things that have gone on around me! There is a huge chunk of _me_ missing—"

Link cut himself off as his voice wavered and Dark respectfully kept his eyes skyward. A sharp pang of pity jabbed at his insides. He felt bad for the Hero, felt guilty almost, although none of this was his fault. The strong urge to sit up and take Link into his arms, to coddle and soothe and comfort him, came on without warning. The loving emotion welling inside was foreign to him; he couldn't imagine where he'd gotten this strange notion! He shifted and fidgeted nervously, almost afraid that Link would be able to hear his flustered thoughts. As words rose into his throat he pursed his lips, forbidding himself from speaking. His emotions were too muddled right now and he feared he would say something he might regret.

"It's true that I gained a lot more than I lost," Link continued, oblivious to Dark's discomfort. "I made a lot of new friendships, I've grown smarter and stronger, my skills with the sword have vastly improved… but still, I'm missing seven whole years." He closed his eyes, not knowing what to expect out of his friend for what he was about to say.

"Dark," he whispered, "I am returning to my time."

"What?" the minion gasped, his eyes widening as his body tensed up.

"Zelda is going to send me home, to my own time. I have to make sure that the events of Ganon's reign don't repeat themselves. I'm not sure what will happen to you or to anyone here," he said, now turning toward his stunned friend, "but I have to go back and stop Ganondorf. Again."

"L-Link," Dark stammered, faltering under the Hero's steely gaze. The shadow pushed himself up on his elbows, looking down at his twin with disbelief and sadness in his eyes. The emotion rising in his stomach was intense, a cocktail of panic and lust and deep emotional attachment. When he realized how serious Link was, how steadfast and unwavering, he sat up and grabbed the Hero by his collar, lifting him and shaking him slightly.

"Link, you can't go! You can't!" he cried, losing his self-control for a terrifying moment. Link grabbed Dark by the shoulders, forcing the doppelganger to stop shaking him, and sadly gazed into his eyes.

"Dark," he whispered, "I have no choice in the matter. I have to go--"

"You cannot leave me," Dark sternly spoke. He pulled Link in so close that their noses were almost touching. Dark's scent filled Link's lungs and his hot breath rolled over the Hero's skin. "You and I are the same person and you will always be a part of me. You are my reason for existing," he breathed, glaring deep into Link's bright eyes. "My every waking moment has been devoted to you. There are so many things we haven't yet done…"

"L-Like what?" Link asked, gingerly prying his collar from Dark's iron grasp. The unpredictable creature was becoming volatile and it didn't help Link's nerves that he was drenched in Ganon's indelible aroma. "What do you still need from me?"

Dark Link paused, pensive for a moment, and then slowly stood. He backed away slightly, putting a respectable distance between them as he unfastened his belt and tossed it aside, then pulling his tunic up over his head. His muscular torso was exposed and Link marveled at just how alike they were, right down to the intricate musculature. Dark's body was more heavily scarred than his, of course, but still the similarities were striking.

"Link, I want you to fight me," he growled, low and threatening. "No weapons, no tricks, no fairies. Just you and I, hand-to-hand." He brought his fists up and danced from foot to foot, keeping his eyes locked on the Hero. He was exuding machismo. "I need to find out which of us is stronger."

"No, Dark," Link said as he stood. He raised his hands passively as he approached his twin, shaking his head gently. "I can't fight you. You're my friend, my ally. I have no reason to st—"

Link was cut off when Dark's fist slammed into his face. He stumbled back slightly, reaching up to hold his face, and when he withdrew his hand there was fresh blood on his fingertips. He lifted his gaze to meet Dark's, a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes, but as he did a second fist landed in his stomach and sent him tumbling across the grass.

Dark Link raised his fists, staying in his spot and giving the Hero a moment to recover. Dark recalled seeing couples reunited at the bonfires. He had watched with interest at how they embraced when they came together again, how they sat so close and kissed, and how some disappeared into the night. He recognized this emotional display as love and recalled that whenever he felt this emotion for his father, as he was now feeling for Link, Ganondorf's quick response had always been to fight. As his emotion was aroused so was his energy and anger and, just as Ganondorf had done to him, he was now violently taking his anger out on Link.

The Hero was groaning and cursing as he stood, wiping blood from his split lip and glaring at Dark Link. "You really want to do this now!?" he yelled, unbuckling his belt and shrugging off his own green tunic. He flexed his arms and shook out his shoulders, lifting his fists in defense and moving in. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, Dark."

The pair then violently went at each other, throwing quick punches and blocking them with skillful timing and precision. It quickly became apparent just how evenly matched they were; after several minutes, neither of them had successfully landed a blow, although they were certainly working up a sweat. Link's forearms were already bruising from the impact of Dark's fists and although the doppelganger was strong, Link was cunning. Dark threw a hard punch at his head and Link dropped his guard, grabbing his twin by the wrist and using his momentum against him. He swung Dark around past him and sent him stumbling, then speared him from behind and landed atop him on the ground.

Dark skidded across the grass on his stomach, wincing as a rash of brush burn spread across his chest, but quickly he was flipped over and pinned beneath Link's body. One, two, three swift punches were dealt directly into his face and he tasted fresh blood on his tongue. As the fourth fist threatened to rob him of consciousness, he reached up and grabbed Link by the throat, causing the Hero to give a choking cry and raise his hands to his neck. Dark unceremoniously tossed the Hero to the ground, mounting him in an instant and assuming the dominant position. He grabbed both of Link's wrists, pinning them down on either side of his head to render him immobile. He rested atop the Hero for a moment, letting his head hang as he caught his breath. His blood dripped from parted lips and onto Link's pristine skin, causing goose bumps to prickle the smooth surface.

"So, Hero," he spoke between haggard breaths. "Which of us is stronger?"

Link gazed up into the ruby irises clouded by exhaustion, his eyes dancing among the raven tendrils that hung down into his face, roving over the moonlit skin, and stopping at the bloodstained lips. The Hero's body acted without first consulting his brain. He heaved forward and his lips assaulted Dark's, his hot mouth melting into the lips of his twin, and slowly he closed his eyes. He lost himself in the sweet taste and subtle texture of Dark's mouth, probing its depths with a curious tongue and reveling in the sensations it aroused throughout his body. He lifted his torso more and more as he deepened the kiss, drawing his dark twin into a deep oral embrace.

Dark Link's eyes widened as Link roughly kissed him and now he froze as the Hero molested his mouth. The sensations he was awakening within the doppelganger were foreign, strange, and Dark didn't know how to react. His mind blanked for several minutes, his eyes on the verge of falling out of his head. Despite his internal panic, Dark continued holding Link down with all of his weight, perhaps subconsciously enjoying the onslaught. As a twinge of pleasure lit a fire in his groin, however, Dark snapped back to reality. He broke the kiss and released the Hero, falling backwards and swiftly crawling away, breathing heavily. He stared at Link as though he had just tried to end his life, inching further away as the Hero stood, brushing off his pants.

"You are the stronger one, Dark," he spoke as he reached down to retrieve his tunic, pulling it over his head. He clasped his belt, reached up to wipe the blood from his lips, and started walking again toward the bonfires. "You were built much stronger than I; you didn't need me to tell you that…

"But I was built smarter."

Silent and incredulous, Dark watched his lighter twin leave, unable to get a word out of his tingling mouth.

---

As daylight broke over Hyrule, Dark Link stood apart from his two fellow heroes, the Princess Zelda and the Hero of Time. His eyes were fixed on the rising sun. He watched its slow progression up from beneath the horizon, marveling at the ease with which it burned away the shadows and the mist, entranced by the slowly growing light. Just as silent as her friend, Navi sat on his shoulder, pensively watching the growing light and enjoying their few private moments together.

"Dark," she spoke, "I never got the chance to thank you—"

"There's no need, Navi," Dark spoke, his voice heavy with sadness. He didn't bother hiding his emotions from his diminutive friend. "Thanks and congratulations are meaningless when you are about to lose two of the people you care for most."

The fairy lost her voice and he could hear her softly sniffling just beneath his ear. There was nothing he could do to console her other than allowing her to nestle against his neck for comfort.

"So you understand what needs to be done," Zelda spoke to Link, who gave her an affirmative nod.

"As soon as I get back I'll go to the castle to speak with-- …with you," he said, his voice low and sad. It was apparent that he did not want to leave. Link wanted with all of his heart to stay here and enjoy the Hyrule that he had liberated, not to return to a time of Ganondorf's oppression. In his time, Ganon would still be alive and still be a threat even if Link didn't open the Door of Time. His struggles would undoubtedly begin anew.

He turned now toward Dark Link. Dark was standing several feet beyond the pair, well out of earshot. "Zelda," Link whispered, "I only wish I had more time."

"If I could give you time, I would," she whispered, looking at him longingly. "But you don't belong here, Link. You need to go back, to take back your childhood." Although she spoke tenderly, the Hero didn't take his eyes off of his doppelganger. The princess sighed and turned toward the horizon, struggling to hide the disappointment in her voice. "I need to send you back now, Link. It's time to say goodbye."

Dark Link turned toward his lighter counterpart as he advanced, looking at him with an expressionless gaze. Link stopped at arm's length, standing erect and looking him straight in the eye. His gaze was stern and determined with just a slight hint of sadness. Dark wore a mask of indiscernible emotion, hiding his sadness from the Hero so as not to add to his grief. They stood motionless for some time, eyes locked as the sun rose beyond them, until Link's stance relaxed somewhat. He reached into his tunic and pulled out his chain of heart containers, those precious crystal charms that helped him stay strong. He grasped one in his fingers and, with a strong pull, separated it from the chain. He held it out to Dark in an open palm and the minion cautiously took it, looking it over with curiosity.

"I know you don't need this," Link spoke, his voice cutting through the silence like a warm knife. "You're strong, much stronger than I am, but…I think you should have it. This was the heart container I got from the battle with Bongo-Bongo." Dark Link lifted his eyes at this revelation. "I had been meaning to give it to you since that battle. It's rightfully yours; you deserve it."

Link extended a hand toward Dark Link, his stern gaze unwavering, not betraying the crumbling emotions within him. Dark reached forward and grasped his hand, shaking it strongly and pursing his lips. The two gazed at each other for several seconds before stepping toward each other. They met in the middle, each throwing their free arms around the other, stiffly and awkwardly embracing. Navi took to the air, allowing the two a private moment, retreating to Zelda's side.

"I'll never forget you," Link whispered into Dark's ear, closing his eyes tightly as he felt tears threatening. "I w-won't forget you, Dark Link. You will be on my mind for the rest of my life."

"Somehow," Dark spoke, backing up slightly and holding Link by the shoulders. "Somehow I will find a way to reach you." His arms were shaking slightly and Link could plainly see the emotion in his eyes. Dark didn't need tears to betray his intense sadness. "You still have a long road ahead of you, Link. Somehow, I will be there to help you."

He felt the Hero begin trembling under his grasp and he released him just as Link quickly turned away. He walked stiffly back to Zelda, standing before her with his chest puffed up and his shoulders pulled back. His mouth was dry and his voice was dead in his throat, but he communicated to her with a stern nod.

As the notes of the Song of Time echoed across the plain, Dark found that he was unable to watch. He felt a tightness in his chest, a heaviness in his dark heart, and as his vision blurred with tears he turned and began to walk away. Kakariko Village and Death Mountain towered above him on the horizon and he went toward their shadow, seeking comfort in their colossal presence. He knew that Uula was waiting for him in the village, her heart full of love and her pot full of stew. He could find comfort there and perhaps, for a short while, be able to forget about the friends he lost.

---

Anju stared listlessly out the window as the sun came up over a new and beautiful Hylian day. Despite the fact that Ganondorf was slain and Hyrule was in a state of bliss, she was still miserable and alone. Since she was unwed and pregnant, quite possibly with a terrible monster, no one wanted to be around her. She stayed inside during daylight hours, silently watching people bustle outside, wishing she could be normal again.

Her blank blue eyes watched as Dark Link, the pierced and ragged friend of the Hero of Time, walked slowly into Kakariko. Her gaze followed him across the village to Uula's cottage where he softly knocked at the door. He waited patiently for Uula to open the door and when she did, she immediately ran out of her home and embraced him. She watched as he slowly lifted his arms and hugged her as well, burying his face in her hair, and she could have sworn that she saw tears rolling down his face. Anju's heart ached to feel that kind of togetherness again.

As the emotion stirred within her, so did her unborn child. She cautiously put a hand on her distended stomach, a look of slight fear on her face. She was terrified of what was inside her and of what might come out…

…and only a few more months to go.

The End.


End file.
